


Now Comes the Hour

by a3rie



Category: Coraline (2009), Coraline - All Media Types
Genre: Adventure, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Friendship, Gen, Magical Realism, Original Character(s), Post-Movie(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-05-20 22:52:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 63,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6028459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a3rie/pseuds/a3rie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Coraline discovers the Cat isn't what he seems. </p><p>Eight years after her triumph over the Other Mother, Coraline finds herself stumbling into yet another world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Unexpected Revelation

“ _The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” -Lao Tzu_

 

“What'cha reading?” Wybie asked curiously as he approached the bench his friend was lounging on. It was a Saturday and the weather was cooperatively mild. The gardens of the Pink Palace were a sight to behold ever since the Jones had moved in and the grounds currently reflected the sun's cheer in autumn hues of red and gold. He smirked as he noticed how his friend clashed with the scenery, her bright purple and pink sweater and green stockings offering a bold contrast.

Coraline looked up from the handful of fliers with a grimace and a shrug, “Nightmares.” She passed him a few of the college leaflets and sighed, “I don't know, I don't think I'm cut out for the whole 'higher learning' scene. At least not right now.” She adopted an obviously fake tone of magnanimity, “I'm willing to be practical about it and consider that maybe it will be something to do in the future.”

“I don't think you've ever been practical about anything,” Wybie joked. He didn't bother to look at any of the papers but flipped through them for the illusion of interest. “We've still got another half a year before we're even done with high school! Why are you bothering with all this right now?”

“Ugh, it's not like it's _my_ choice. Mom's been hounding me for a month now to at least start considering my options. As if the world will end if I take a year or two off school to find out what I want to do with my life.” She scrunched her face in frustration and let the remaining pamphlets drop to the ground. Winding her now shoulder-length purple hair around one finger she brought the strands to rest on her protruding upper lip like a mustache. “This whole adult business blows hard,” she lamented, though it came out a bit muffled as she tried to hold her fake mustache in place.

Wybie shook his head at her antics. He let the papers he was holding join the pile at their feet. “Well, what _do_ you want to do with your life?”

“I don't know! If it were that simple I wouldn't be needing the time to think on it, now would I?” She dropped the violet strands she had been idly playing with and blew her bangs out of her eyes in a show of exasperation. “What about you?”

“No real long-term plans just yet. I was thinking about starting off in a community college, maybe go for something to do with computers. They're the next big thing, I'm tellin' ya.”

Coraline blew a raspberry at him, “Of course they are. It's 2009, there's no one alive who doesn't know that computers are the next big thing. Except for maybe our neighbors... I'm pretty sure anything more complicated than a toaster would spook them.” She giggled at her own joke but her face was soft with affection. She had grown to genuinely love the old people who shared the Pink Palace with her, their eccentricities made them all the more dear. She and Wybie both tried to ignore the growing reality that they might not have but a few years longer with the lively old characters.

Spink and Forcible were now well into their seventies and rarely left the house. They were down to just one dog now, mostly because they could not keep up with any more, despite the want to. Coraline made it a point to visit them at least once a week and often times she could convince Wybie to join her. Once the threat of the Other Mother had been removed, Wybie felt comfortable enough to go inside the old apartment building, even if his grandmother still had reservations. The two actresses had taken to him instantly and would ask after him anytime Coraline visited alone.

The two teens were indulgent of the ladies forgetfulness and for their wild exaggerations and superstitions. After everything that had happened, they were perfectly willing to believe that Miriam did indeed once have a phantom admirer or that April was passably clairvoyant. They would have tea, tell stories, and occasionally dig out an ancient projector to show off some of the work from their golden years. Needless to say, both Wybie and Coraline were impressed and mildly horrified to learn that the two batty elderly women were in some rather risque roles in their youth.

Then, there was Mr. Bobinsky. He was far more mobile than the two older women, although he had finally given up on the random acrobats – much to Coraline's relief. He had always been a touch more insane than either Spink or Forcible and that had not changed over the years. After a few well placed debates and outright sabotage, he had won a small section of the property's garden away from flowers and these days now spent most of his time tending his vegetables, which he willingly and insistently shared with his neighbors. Both Coraline and Wybie would keep him company when he took to the soil, helping him pull weeds and offering conversation. He had even eventually allowed them to meet his mice. Coraline had had to reconcile the fact that they were not the athletic and ambidextrous creatures that their puppet counter-parts had been. They could in fact ring bells and preform little tasks, but a marching band they were not. Still, they were cute.

The cat still came and went, though far more frequently he was away to his own devices. After years of trying, Coraline finally accepted that he could not talk outside of the Other Mother's world. Still, she knew he was more than just a cat, language or not. She and Wybie deferred to him like an equal, but it was disappointing not knowing what he was thinking or what he was up to when not visiting either of them.

“What are you planning to do in the meantime?” Wybie asked, bringing Coraline back to the present. She shook her head to reorient herself. Wybie laughed at her obvious lack of attention span, “Zoning out again?”

“Nah,” she replied but it was several seconds later and didn't really help her case. She sighed again, longer this time than before. “I don't know. Maybe it's cliché but travel sounds like it might be fun. If anything, I want to go visit my friends back in Michigan this summer, see what they're up to. We... haven't been as close as we used to these past couple of years. If I hadn't of met you I probably would have gone insane.”

“You'd probably also be dead,” he jokingly reminded. The confrontation at the well felt so far behind them now that it seemed safe to bring it up in conversation. They rarely talked about the events of that first year the Jones moved in, but it no longer felt like bad luck to do so.

“Oh, I don't know. If _someone_ hadn't been there to give me her evil, voodoo-spy doll, I might not have ever ended up in the situation to begin with,” she pointedly reminded him.

“Maybe, but that would mean the key would still be in the house and it'd be able to get someone else instead.” He shrugged, “At least this way more future lives are safe.”

“I don't like to think about it, but sometimes I wonder if she isn't still alive. The door's locked but... we don't really know if she's dead. Or if there might have been another way out after all.” She shivered, “I wish we could ask Cat and get a straight answer. I bet he would be able to tell us for sure, one way or another.”

Wybie nodded with a grimace. It was a disturbing thought. Quickly deciding to change the subject he said, “I still feel kinda cheated that I never actually got to hear Cat talk for myself. I mean, he was my friend first!”

“Jealous?” Coraline laughed, happily latching onto the distraction.

“Yeah, pretty sure I just said that,” he shot back with a grin. He shrugged and stretched his legs to stand. Not for the first time, Coraline noticed how tall her friend was getting to be. He'd probably qualify as a giant if he didn't insist on slouching so much. “Speaking of, I wonder where our four legged friend is off to today?”

“Who knows. Sometimes I almost forget and think of him as just a cat, but then, once I heard Ms. Spink say something about familiars. I believe that's probably what he is, you know?” Coraline mused aloud.

“Could be. Makes sense, I guess. Depends on what one's definition of a familiar is. Like, I read in this book once that they're suppose to be demons.”

“He doesn't seem very demonic to me. I doubt he would have helped me out as much as he did back then if he were. Plus, I really don't think demons are quite so cuddly.”

Wybie laughed sharply, covering his mouth in amusement. “I don't think he's very cuddly at all, to be honest. He's too lean and feral for that!”

“Oh, I don't know. I once coaxed him into a tub and he was definitely soft and cuddle worthy after that! Well, physically, anyhow. I don't think he's ever managed to give me the cold shoulder for so long before or after that particular adventure.” She smiled fondly at the memory and her friend broke into helpless giggles at the image of an indignant cat with a shiny, freshly shampooed coat pointedly ignoring his assailant.

After catching his breath, Wybie switched the subject back to that of futures, “So, travel, huh?”

“I don't know. Maybe. Everyone acts like its normal to be indecisive but then they get frustrated when you actually are! Like, chill! Why do they expect us to both know and not know at the same time?” She stood up and looked down to the pile of papers awaiting her decision. “I guess my only other options right now are to either find a job in town somewhere to stall for time or pick one at random of these universities that mom's pushing for.” With obvious reluctance she bent down and picked the litter off the ground.

“It won't be so bad. Everyone goes through this at some point or another, I'm told. But I stand by my earlier point, it's way too soon to be worrying about this sort of thing.” He smiled, “At least give it another month or two before you really begin to gnaw it over. Fall break is next week! You really shouldn't spoil such a sacred time by brooding.”

Coraline chuckled at his attempt to cheer her up. She supposed that he did have a good point.

A meow caught both of their attention and brought the conversation to a pause.

“Ah! Cat! We were just talking about you earlier. How nice of you to visit.” The girl knelt down and scratched behind his good ear. “I would ask if you had a nice trip to wherever it was but we all know how pointless that'd be.”

The cat rolled his eyes with an indulgent expression and meandered his way through their legs. He meowed again and feigned cleaning himself, Coraline took this as a cue to carry on with whatever it was he'd interrupted.

“I guess I'll go with your idea for the moment. It's not like I have much of a choice in the matter, anyway.” She shrugged, “I'm sure I'll think of something.”

Wybie smile with a wink, “That's the spirit!”

The sharp sound of a bell brought an official end to the conversation. Mrs. Lovat had begun to lose most of her famous lung capacity over the years and had resorted instead to the bell that hung on her porch. The old decoration had seen better days but the woman refused to replace it, claiming it warded off evil spirits.

“Looks like grams has dinner ready.” He looked down at their furry friend, “Who's it going to be this evening, Cat? Me or Jonesy?”

The cat gave an effective shrug before circling the darker boy's legs, rubbing against them affectionately.

“Oh, I see how it is,” she barely disguised her smirk. “Following the food, huh? Well, I can't say I blame you. Your grandma is still one heck of a cook.”

“Yeah, I'm going to be in real trouble when she finally decides to stay away from the kitchen. I can almost manage to burn water so if I'm supposed to be in charge we'll starve in a matter of days!”

“I'll see you two later, then,” the girl said with a laugh.

“Later!” Wybie called over his shoulder, he was already making his way down the driveway with the cat close on his heels.

 oOoOoOo

Three days later found Coraline basking in the sun once again out in the garden. This time around she had a novel in her hands and a cat in her lap. School had been uneventful but she found it draining nonetheless. When her free hand wasn't called to turn the pages she busied it with gently running it up and down Cat's head and back. The feline in question was doing his level best to impersonate a truck engine, his gratitude vibrating through her legs and providing a pleasant white-noise hum to relax to.

As she read, the wind picked up briefly, blowing her wild hair into her face and making it difficult to focus. Pausing in the chapter she looked down at her dozing friend. His ears were twitching as the cool autumn tickled at them and she smirked before gently scratching at the torn and broken ear, effectively speeding up it's twitching. The cat opened his eye again and the look he gave managed to be pleading and exasperated all at once. With a giggle, she relented and moved her fingers once more to his back.

The breeze settled down and Coraline blew her bangs back out of her face before returning to her book. However, her mind had already begun to wander and it wasn't long before she realized she had read the same paragraph over three times without understanding any of it. Officially recognizing her distracted mood she fished a bookmark out from under her leg and placed it between the pages before letting the copy of _The Fellowship of the Ring_ fall to the ground.

With a sigh she held the cat to keep him from falling and adjusted herself so that she was lying down on the bench and looking up through the foliage to the bright clouds beyond. Cat relocated to her stomach and quickly got comfortable again, kneading his paws into the fuzzy material of her orange shirt before lying back down. He could tell that his human friend had something weighing on her mind and he was content to wait until she volunteered the information. He knew she had a habit of thinking out loud and recognized that it was in some capacity for his benefit. Even if communication was limited, it seemed she still sincerely enjoyed his company and usually supplied him with commentary as she went about her daily life.

“Do you think I'm just being silly?” She asked him without any preamble. “To be worrying so much about the vagueness of the future. To me it does. I mean, look at my past accomplishments! I defeated an evil witch before I was twelve and in the process saved the souls of three children. That's no small thing!” She laughed, pulling her eyes away from the sky to lock onto his blue ones. “But, then, that's not exactly something a person can put down on a resume or college application.”

The cat shrugged and nodded, turning slightly to lick her hand to show his support. He could understand how such a thing could be unsettling for her. He did not know how to help with this sort of problem but he was willing to let her vent. He was certain things would work out. After all, her life was far more simple than his own.

Having gotten the thought out, she went back to petting him as she mulled it over more and Cat went back to purring. The minutes fell by lazily as the two reclined in companionable silence.

 

_**TWANG-SNAP** _

 

It was felt, not heard. Something that had been a part of him for so long was suddenly no longer there. The cat jerked up in a flash, his eyes opening wide and wild. The magic that had tethered him to his home world had been suddenly called back. The stone that allowed for easy travel between the veil of this world and his own had either been destroyed or placed under stasis.

'Oh, this isn't good,' the cat thought, trying very hard not to panic. There were other ways home, yes, but for this line to be suddenly gone meant that something was wrong.

Coraline took notice of his change instantly and sat up slowly while eyeing him with concern. “Everything alright? Are you okay?” He shook his head frantically and hopped down off of her lap.

'Maybe I misinterpreted the sensation. All I need to do is try-' he attempted to will himself back across the veil like he had done hundreds of times before only to be met with resistance. There was no familiar pull, the world didn't shift, and he remained solidly in front of a confused and worried looking purple-haired girl. 'No. This is not good at all.' He tried once more for good measure before letting out a frustrated meow.

“Is there anything I can do? Are you in pain? Is there something dangerous nearby?” Knowing he could not properly answer any of her questions did not stop her from asking them. She hopped to her feet, ready to move quickly if it became necessary. As she watched her friend pace back and forth in agitation she bit nervously at her bottom lip. He didn't _look_ injured and she couldn't think of anything that might have suddenly spooked him.

Abruptly, the cat sat back on his haunches and looked up at her directly. His tail swished quickly back and forth behind him, the only remaining evidence that he was upset. It appeared that he had come to a decision of some kind. “Mer-ow.” For a moment it looked like he was going to try communicating with his eyes alone.

She looked at him expectantly and when he made no other indication she gestured impatiently. “Well?” She asked, feeling a little out of her depth. Instead of giving another meow, the cat stood up and began to walk towards Pink Palace. He glanced back to make sure she was following then continued on. Coraline scooped up her book and followed without hesitation. Quickening her pace she reached the door just as he did and opened it for him. He hardly slowed down as he made a beeline for the study.

Coraline's heart began to hammer and gooseflesh ran down her arms and back. He was acting strangely and heading for the study. Sudden flashes of memory slowed her steps: roaches, spider webs, and cold metal claws. Still, she followed him. He stopped in front of the heavy bookshelf that she had personally assured would be positioned to hide the little door. The cat looked pointedly at the entryway and she took the hint, closing the doors behind them.

Once he was sure he had her full attention he decided to try something he had been avoiding for years. “I may have a favor to ask of you, Coraline.” On the inside he sighed with relief. He honestly had not known if there would be enough residual magic at this distance for him to use to talk in this form.

The look of shock on the girl's face was nearly priceless. “I- I thought you could only talk over there?” Her surprise suddenly turned to indignation. “Have you been able to do this the whole time!?”

“To be honest, I never had a need to talk to you with actual words before now.” The lilt to his voice made it clear he was teasing. “As to your first question, due to magical stipulations, I normally cannot talk while in this form. That is why I am standing so close to the notorious little door. I had a suspicion that there might be enough magic here to allow it,” he explained calmly. The cat watched her closely as she digested this and acclimated herself to the strangeness that was hearing his voice again.

She pouted slightly, “Still, you could have tried this little trick sooner, if you had suspected. I'm sure Wybie would love to hear you talk. He told me just the other day that he's jealous that I'm the only one who's heard you.”

The cat only shrugged and answered, “I am not a parlor trick.”

“Well, duh! You know I didn't mean it that way. Anyway, what sort of favor do you have in mind? I'll help you out, seeing as how I still kind of owe you for the Other Mother thing.”

With a flick of his tail the cat seemed to smile at her, “Lucky for you, it is not anything dangerous. While I appreciate your willingness to help, I would advise that in the future you wait to find out what someone wants from you before agreeing to anything.”

Coraline shrugged, “You've proved yourself a friend, I trust you enough to agree in advance.” Her eyes narrowed then, “But I am still a little peeved that you've been silent all these years when you didn't really have to be.”

“They say silence is golden. Besides, as I said, I really have never had to say anything to enjoy the company you and Wybourne offer. Likewise, it has been apparent that my inability to talk never deterred either of you from enjoying mine.”

She couldn't help but to laugh at that. “Right. I forgot what a total sassy pants you are. Nostalgia must have clouded my mind. I can't see what we thought we were missing not being able to talk to you.”

“I find myself flattered,” he smirked despite himself. 'Sassy pants' was a new one and he had been called _many_ things over the years. “Now, back to business,” he said, quickly reclaiming the direction of the conversation. “As you have probably long suspected, I am no ordinary cat but that goes one step further in that I'm not actually from this world at all. This afternoon I felt the tether of magic that connected me to my home world snap and disappear. I'm not technically stranded, but the matter of my return is now more complicated.”

“This really shouldn't be so surprising to me, but still, it's kind of a lot to take in,” Coraline admitted. “So, are you an alien? 'Home world' makes it all sound very E.T.”

It took him a moment before he placed her meaning– half forgotten remnants of movies at Wybourne's house floated across his mind. “No, I wouldn't say I am that sort of an alien. I'm sure you've grown up hearing stories that tell of a magical realm that is invisible to humans. Stories of my world have existed in yours for as long as written history. No one ever gets it _quite_ right but that is beside the point.”

“Huh.” She was not unfamiliar with magic and other worlds but this revelation seemed a bit sudden. Memories of her past experiences brought up another question, “Did the Other Mother come from your world, then?”

“That's right,” he nodded. “Like your own world, mine contains a multitude of different beings and dangers. Though perhaps the number of sentient threats is greater as far as my world is concerned. Sometimes things from there make it over here without permission and begin causing trouble for you unsuspecting humans.”

“So, is she the reason you are over here to begin with? I can't really see any other appeal.” The cat didn't even need to answer. Now that she had said it out loud it was obvious that the Other Mother was what had brought him to the Pink Palace.

He merely nodded. “She isn't the first to be an issue. Access to this realm has been limited and policed for hundreds of years now. Sometimes individuals sneak under the radar for a while. Not all of them are malicious but we try and step in cases where they are. It's hard to know for sure how long the Beldame was hiding here. While it is lucky that she struck so infrequently, it's one of the reasons she took so long to find. For ones like her, there are others in my position who sort of... enforce immigration rules, for lack of a better comparison.”

“So, are there a lot of you guys over here? Hidden in plain sight among humans or hunting in the shadows?” The idea was both intriguing and uncomfortable.

“Not as many, these days. I would hazard a guess that no more than fifteen hundred people in the entire world share my otherworldly heritage. The number is likely a little higher for second and third generations but that is beside the point. As I already mentioned, the pathways here are few and almost all of them are tightly guarded secrets. Some creatures figure out ways over by themselves but most gain permission. This brings me back to my original point, though, because now it seems that one of those ways has been shut down. This would not have been done arbitrarily and I need to return home quickly to check on things.” The cat's tail had returned to twitching.

“Well, what do I have to do?”

He was very grateful that Coraline has such an agreeable personality. Truly, he did not feel like she was indebted to him but if that supposed obligation would gain her cooperation, he would use it. Besides, much as he was loathed to admit it, she had done most of the work back then. “First, how about you go and fetch Wybourne. We will likely require his assistance and it will be easier for me to explain it only once. After all, you were the one who mentioned he has been wanting to hear my wonderful voice.”

“Pfft,” Coraline rolled her eyes, “I never said it was wonderful.” Her smile widened despite her words, “Wait right here, I'll be back in a flash.”

 


	2. Setting the Stage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Wybie gets in on the plan *Old ladies can be surprising *The Cat tells a little more about his world

“ _The language of friendship is not words but meanings.” - Henry David Thoreau_

 

Wybie was nearly beside himself with anticipation. Coraline had hardly finished her explanation before he was hurriedly lacing up his boots and digging through his miscellaneous laundry piles for his jacket. “Lead the way, Jonesy!” He said after a brief fumble with the piece of clothing. “I'm going over to Coraline's for a little while, grandma! I'll be home in an hour or so!” He called into the sitting room so that the older woman wouldn't worry in his absence.

A few short minutes later found the two of them in the Jones' study where the cat was feigning boredom. He was lounging in front of the bookcase lazily licking his paw and watching them from the corner of his eyes. The feline sat up fully once they had shut the door and crossed the short distance to sit near by. It amused him to see the obvious effort Wybourne was putting into appearing collected, as if seeming too eager would somehow be uncool. Boys cared far too much about such things at his age, the cat reflected absently. “I suppose I should extend a formal hello to you, Mr. Lovat, though after all these years it seems a little unnecessary,” the cat began. "After all, it isn't like we're strangers. But, hello, all the same.”

The smile that split across the young man's face was nearly blinding in its sincerity. “Hello to you, too! So, uh, do you have a name? It seems pretty obvious now that you probably do,” Wybie pointed out.

“Cat will work just fine, after all, that is what you have known me by for almost a decade now,” the feline answered with an obvious smirk. It was not exactly clear if he was being difficult for the fun of it or if he genuinely did not want to give his name –both teens knew that he had to have one.

“If you say so...” Wybie was willing not to press the matter. Being a magical talking cat, he must have his reasons, the boy decided. “Anyway! Coraline says you need help going home? Will you ever be coming back? This isn't a goodbye forever kind of thing, is it?” He hadn't been thinking about anything of the sort on the way over but now it struck him that this could be the last time he ever saw his friend.

“It could be, but it could just as easily be a temporary departure,” the cat answered honestly. “I wont know until I get back and determine the nature of this disruption. On the unlikely chance that this is indeed a final goodbye I would just like to say, it has been a genuine pleasure knowing the both of you. This is far more open than I usually am with people but I feel that you've earned the truth. I find myself quite fond of you both and wish you only the best in the remainder of your lives.” There was an underlying purr in his words, coating his voice in an oddly entrancing way.

“Aww, you too,” Coraline said with a slight catch in her voice from emotion. Who knew the mangy thing could make her so sentimental? Even if he wasn't always around, he had always seemed a constant in her life and she hadn't realized how attached she had become. That this might be a final farewell had not even crossed her mind until Wybie mentioned it. She really hoped that it wasn't.

“Yes. Well... I believe it is time to get down to business.”

 

oOoOoOo

 

It had taken a little longer than planned to gather supplies. Wybie and Coraline had pooled their allowances and taken their bikes into town only to find that bundles of dried herbs and dragon's blood resin were harder to come by than anticipated. They found dried sage and the other plants on their list at a fresh-market and decided to bundle it themselves. The dragon's blood proved to be the most difficult.

“We could ask Spink and Forcible,” Coraline suggested on the ride back to the apartments. “They have all kinds of candles and teas horded down there, and you know how superstitious they are. I've had my tea leaves read more than I can count... I don't think any of the more recent times have been anywhere near accurate. The point is, though, they're all for this kind of stuff in theory. Even if they are getting old and senile they probably have all sorts of stuff lying around.”

“Mer-ow,” the cat answered from his perch on Wybie's hunched shoulders. It sounded like an agreement.

Wybourne nodded before adding, “Well, at this point, it really can't hurt to ask.” Pulling to a stop at the front of the drive way he readjusted his satchel containing their purchase and then asked, “But, what are we going to tell them we want it for?”

Coraline snorted a short chuckle, “They may not even bother asking. If they do, we'll just say that one of your preservation jars busted and we need to fumigate your room of the smell.”

“But that wouldn't explain why we want dragon's blood, specifically,” he pointed out.

The girl only shrugged, “Preference. And, going by the name, I would think it's a pretty strong smell. We would want something potent to cover this alleged spill, right?”

Her friend laughed and shook his head in disbelief. “You're a little too good at thinking on your feet, sometimes. It's no wonder you managed to beat that witch and trick her into trapping herself.”

Coraline lifted one shoulder in a modest gesture, “For one, it isn't like I did any of that all by myself, I did have several sources of advice. For another, I'm pretty sure most all of it was sheer dumb luck.”

“Don't sell yourself so short, Jonesy!” Wybie insisted, giving her a light punch in the arm. Coraline rolled her eyes and punched him back, harder. With a slight grimace he realized that he should have expected the retaliation and made a show of rubbing the area she had struck. “Alright, let's go and see if the actresses have what we're looking for.”

They propped their bikes out of the way and crossed the short walk to the stairs leading down to the basement apartment. “On the chance that they don't have anything, Cat, is it something we absolutely have to have for this to work or is there another way?” Coraline thought to ask. The cat only shook his head but she couldn't be sure if that was a 'no, there's no other way,' or a 'no, we can figure something else out.' She decided the answer could wait as she knocked on the door.

“It's open, dear!” Came the distant call of one of the older ladies. Coraline would never understand how they could be so trusting. She supposed that after one got to a certain age they just stopped caring that bad things were a possibility. There was also the fact that the neighborhood was a quiet one and had never had an incident –that anyone knew of, at any rate– to show it as unsafe.

Wybie and Coraline let themselves in. They were greeted by Wallace, April and Miriam's most recent, and likely last, Scottish terrier. The dog seemed most excited about the feline riding on the tall boy's shoulder but Cat ignored the energetic creature. “It's just us!” Coraline answered, leading the way into the dimly lit living area.

“Good evening, dears,” April greeted from the sofa. “Come over here, Wallace! You rowdy little thing, you. Let our guests come in.” She smiled sweetly at the two teens, “Please, do make yourselves at home!”

“What brings you over this fine evening?” Miriam asked from the kitchen where she seemed to be having trouble getting the lid off of a jar of sugar. Wybie quickly walked over and helped her to open it. “Thank you, love,” she responded and gave him a quick pat on his unoccupied shoulder. “I see you brought your familiar with you. Haven't seen him in a while.”

“Oh, he's not _my_ familiar,” Wybie answered even though he knew it wouldn't do much good. In fact, Miriam was already distracted and didn't seem to be listening to his reply.

“Would you like a beverage? We've just recently got a shipment of herbal tea in. It's imported, you know,” the taller of the two ladies remarked as she shifted her weight and began to reach into an upper cabinet.

“No, thank you, ma'am,” Coraline called lightly from the connected room. “We actually came by to see if you might have any scented oil or incense sticks you could give us? Specifically, do you have any dragon's blood?” She didn't see any point in beating around the bush. She often found that one needed to be very direct when dealing with either of the retired actresses otherwise you would never get out whatever it was you had to say.

The look that April gave her in response was positively calculating. Suddenly it seemed that the years fell away and she wasn't just some dotty old lady. “Whatever for, dear?” The shorter woman questioned.

Coraline had not been expecting this sort of coherent suspicion and almost faltered in her per-meditated answer, “Uh, well, you know how Wybie likes to collect specimens? Well, one of the mason jars fell over and busted and now his room stinks. Like, worse than usual. We, um, we heard that dragon's blood was one of the more smellier smell-good scents. Candles haven't been doing a good enough job so we were looking for something stronger.”

“You have come to the right place, lovvie! Miriam answered in a breathy tone as she wandered in from the kitchen, seemingly forgetting whatever task she was previously tending to. “One moment, dears, we have plenty to chose from.”

The bustier woman passed them and moved aside a curtain that blocked off the short hall which lead to the bedrooms and bathroom. The sounds of rummaging and a bang followed. Coraline chuckled but it soon died off as she noticed the look of shrewd consideration that April was giving the cat. 'Huh, maybe she _is_ passably clairvoyant,' the teenager thought to herself. Luckily, Miriam burst back through the curtain a moment later and provided them with a distraction.

“Take you pick, love. I would personally recommend the lavender or the honeysuckle,” she said as she held out a medium sized, shallow box that was divided up into six sections. Each segment was filled to overflowing with thin scented sticks.

Coraline noted with some worry that nothing on the box was labeled and they all looked nearly identical. The cat seemed to notice her hesitance and leaped expertly from Wybie's shoulder to her own. After a brief pause and a subtle sniff he put his paw on the farthest section where cinnamon colored sticks were held. She made a show of picking up an incense from each compartment and taking a sniff, as if determining which would work best for them, before settling upon the ones that the cat had pointed out. “Thanks, ma'am. These will work. May we take four or five? Just in case, I mean it smells _really_ bad in there.”

“Help yourself, help yourself. We have plenty,” Miriam picked up one of the sticks that Coraline was collecting from and took a long whiff. “Ah, dragon's blood after all. Honeysuckle is my favorite, but do as you please. I suppose it might be a bit too feminine a fragrance for young Mr. Wybourne.”

“Haha, uh, yeah,” Wybie offered, walking over and taking an experimental sniff to the contents of the box as well.

“Dragon's blood is often used for protection, you know,” April announced almost casually from her position on the couch.

“No, it is used for good fortune,” Miriam corrected without hesitation.

“Well, that too,” the other woman acquiesced almost too easily. “But, most often it is for protection _or_ banishing spirits.” She looked at both teens with an expression of concern, “You aren't in any sort of trouble, are you dears?”

Wybie laughed a little too loud and inwardly Coraline cringed. Her friend was about as subtle as a brick through a window. “No ma'am. Just dealing with the aftermath of this loser's weird hobby.” She punched the boy in the arm partly in warning and in part to seem like she was enjoying a joke at his expense. “Thank you again for letting us have these. We'd better be going, though, we left his windows open to help air his room out but it was looking like it might rain earlier so... yeah, we had better be going.”

“Anytime, lovvie. Do come back when you can stay longer!” Miriam said cheerfully as she tried not to trip over Wallace who suddenly decided he belonged directly under her feet. “Umph!”

April levered herself up from the sofa using her walker and took a few steps forward as though to see them to the door. Slightly winded from the effort she told them, “If you ever did need any help with anything... mysterious, never hesitate to ask!”

“Sure thing! Have a good evening, we'll see you guys later,” Coraline answered brightly before leading the way back out of the apartment.

Once they were a safe distance away Wybie let out a relieved sigh. “What do you think tipped her off that there was anything going on?” He found himself a little unnerved at the old lady's perceptiveness. Neither of the two eccentric women ever displayed that level of clarity often. “I had thought your excuse was a pretty good one!”

“I'm not really sure. I guess it was that we asked for dragon's blood specifically and not just for any strong smell in general,” the girl answered. She had thought her excuse was pretty solid. It had obviously been enough for Miriam, but why it had struck the other woman as odd was beyond her. “I don't guess it matters now, we got what we needed.”

Now that they were further away from the house Wybie turned to her, “I guess I'll see you a little before midnight, tonight! I'm planing to sneak out around half past eleven, just to make sure everything is set up and that the toadstools are still there around the old well.”

Coraline nodded, “Yeah, just try not to get caught! I know my parents sleep like coma patients but your grandma is seriously like an ex-marine or something. Remember that time you tried to go and see that midnight special showing of _The Evil Dead_ back in freshman year?”

“Yeah, but that was because it was Halloween. I should have known grams would be on high alert on a night known for spirits and such,” he laughed affectionately. “I didn't think she would ever un-ground me for that one!”

“Just be careful. I'll see you tonight.”

 

oOoOoOo

 

The cat had decided to spend the remainder of the evening with her. Try as she might to fight the feeling of anticipation it was eating her alive. Her mother even commented over dinner that night how distracted and wound up she seemed. Her excuse had been that she had a history exam Friday and she was just really nervous about it and that, in fact, she had better go and study.

“Come here, please,” Coraline instructed as she sat down in front of the bookcase once more. The cat sighed theatrically and jumped down from his seat on the back of the couch to join her. “Why don't you tell me your name? Or if not that, more about your world? We've literally got four and a half hours before we're suppose to meet Wybie, what could it hurt? We need to kill some time.”

“For one, we are used to not giving our names out because the power can be abused. It isn't that I don't trust you, but that such things do not need to be spoken lightly on your world. I'm sure you've often wondered, but though the door is locked, and there's now a bookcase between it and everyone else, I do not feel comfortable saying my given name in case of eavesdroppers.” He told her plainly as he took a seat beside her on the rug.

Coraline shivered at the thought. Though she had just been wondering about the state of the Other Mother earlier, she suddenly felt very uncomfortable to be hearing about her. More specifically, she disliked the idea that she might not only still be alive but also capable of listening to their conversation. “You don't think she can hear us, do you?”

“Probably not. Soon there wont be any magic left at all and once it is gone, so will she be. Perhaps only another year or two,” he answered with complete indifference. “Still, I would rather not chance it."

The teen scrunched her nose in distaste. On the one hand it was comforting to know that soon the Beldame would cease to be a threat ever again. On the other, it was entirely too real and unpleasant to imagine something slowly dying and withering away– it only made it worse knowing it was taking place within the very walls of her home. Even if she was a child eating monster, it felt wrong, somehow. A thought occurred to her, “She knows my name, though.”

“You and I are two different sorts of beings and therefore obey a different set of rules. You escaped what influence and power she had over you already. That doll was to you a close equivalent of what her knowing my name would be for me. Only if she had mine, she could do more than simply spy. Such things aren't a problem back home because there are wards in place to prevent it, but not so here.”

“Oh. Okay,” she relented. “So. What do you think happened that you can't go back like you usually do? Has anything like this ever happened before?”

He lifted his shoulders and his tail twitched. “Once or twice,” he admitted. “Both times I was on the other side when it happened so there was no suspense. The first time was due to war, long ago when the walls between worlds were thinner and the boarders had yet to be closed. The second time was during a similar war, the regulations were already in place by that point but not everyone had been happy with the way the power had been distributed.”

“Wow, thanks. That's all nice and vague,” she said with a little huff. But, something about what he had just told her struck her as odd, “How old are you?”

The cat laughed, “Far older than you would think.”

“Are you going to give me a number?” She asked with a growing sense of curiosity.

“I don't know if I can quite be sure of a whole number or not. It can be an easy thing to lose track of,” he answered. It dawned on her that he was likely being purposefully difficult. What amusement he derived from it, she didn't know.

“Well, why don't you take a guess? I'll settle for a ball park figure.” She could do this all night.

“A little over three thousand, if you must know,” he answered with a sigh of defeat. It seemed he was well aware of how stubborn she could be.

Her jaw dropped. “You're lying. You've got to be!” She was expecting something along the lines of the age of the house. A hundred or something; a lot, yes, but still a somewhat reasonable number by comparison. There were plenty of people who lived to see a century, but to be over three thousand? Never mind not seeming to age at all, how had he not died from something else? She supposed the old phrase about cats and nine lives _must_ be true.

“Why would I lie?” He was purring now, her obvious astonishment was just as amusing as watching her get frustrated with not getting answers.

“How have you managed to not get killed?” She voiced her earlier thought. “I mean, I'm glad you haven't and I guess congratulations on that, but that seems a little far fetched.”

“Oh, I've died several times,” he answered with a shrug, as if such things were as normal as fish living in water.

“Reincarnation?” She asked before he had time to elaborate.

“No, not quite. I've merely been lucky enough to be over here each time. I do not know if it works in reverse but for us, if we are slain on earth we simply appear back on the other side of the veil. The process is a bit disorienting and often times problematic because one cannot really control where they end up. But it is usually preferred to staying dead. If I were to die over there, though, that would be the end of it. The only exception, that I know of, is if one from my world dies of old age here they remain dead. No one has quite figured out the details of why that is.”

“That doesn't sound like much fun,” she said in intentional understatement.

“No, it is not, which is why I was ever so grateful that the misses downstairs had the dragon's blood that we needed for the ritual. It would have been better to have it in a more concentrated form, but what we have should work. I'm not really keen on the idea of having no control of where I end up on the other side.” He seemed to smile a little, “Not to mention it might be a bit traumatizing to ask you or Wybourne to kill me.”

“Yeah, no. I don't think I would be able to do that even if you promised you wouldn't really be dying.” Her face contorted into a scowl just thinking about it.

“Indeed,” he nodded. “I do understand.” He was still smiling, though.

“So, wait, does that mean that once the Beldame finally... dies.. she's just going to–”

“Unfortunately for her, no. She made the mistake of not fully transitioning into this realm. She built for herself an in between place.” He stretched his paws and yawned. He decided to lie down before continuing, “Such pockets of void-like space are prone to pop up every now and again. The biggest disadvantage to them is that while the inhabitant has almost near total control of the environment, it is only a gilded cage. Because she does not fully belong to this world or the other she's going to die and stay dead. Serves her right, really."

Coraline checked her watch and then decided to follow the cat's lead and get more comfortable. She stretched out and propped her head on her palms, lying flat on her stomach and crossing her legs in the air behind her. “So, what do you do? Three thousand years is a ridiculous amount of time. Do you ever get bored?”

“All the time. It isn't all bad, though. I especially like coming to earth. Things change more often over here and it's easier to stay entertained. As for what I do, I do as I'm needed. Most of us who live long lives usually pick a trade, master it completely and unquestionably and then move to a different hobby. That is, we do such things when our country isn't at war. I wasn't exactly clear earlier, when I refer to my world, I am specifically referring to my country. There has been peace for over three hundred years but if my sudden predicament is any indication, that may be on the verge of ending.”

“Let me get this straight, we are helping you go back to a possible war?” Coraline asked in concern. Even with the revelation that she knew next to nothing about this cat who wasn't a cat, she still thought of him as her friend. Old as he claimed to be, and despite that she was probably just a blink in his long existence, she still found herself worrying about him.

“It will hardly be the first time I've been in one, and I've survived for this long. I rather like my chances. I live in one of the strongest kingdoms there is across the veil, and I don't mean that just by measure of wealth or numbers. Our military might is nothing to laugh at and I myself am a highly trained fighter.” If she didn't know any better she would say he was bragging.

“Which is why you took down the Other Mother with such finesse,” she teased lightly. Her smile grew wide when she caught the look of irritation that briefly flashed across his features before he was able to school them back to indifference.

He flexed his claws into the rug and retracted them again, “I will have you know that things are infinitely more complicated when one does not have thumbs. I admit that when I first took the case I underestimated my enemy. I had been gathering reconnaissance during the months before you moved in and had your family held off for another two months or so I would have found a way to deal with the Beldame despite my current form. As it happens I had to work around your naive interruptions.” He shrugged, “It all worked out in the end, so let us change the subject.”

“You keep hinting that you aren't normally a cat. If that's the case, how come you are now? Did you get a choice, and if so, why didn't you go for something more fierce if you knew you were going after something like the Beldame?” She didn't seem willing to drop the subject entirely.

“We have to assume a different form to come over here if we wish to remain ageless. The magic of the spell binding us to the new body works as a barrier to the flow of time. Not everyone takes a different form but it is advisable if one does not know for how long they might be on earth,” he explained. Then his tone became a little defensive as he continued, “As for why I am a cat... can you honestly think of something better for such a place as this? It is my natural alternate form but aside from that, I needed something easy to over looked while still being nimble and able to come and go with ease. Sure, something like a bear or a mountain lion might have been enough to overpower the Beldame but that isn't the sort of animal that gets to lurk around quaint little houses.”

“Oh.” Coraline was silent for a moment before she responded with an apologetic smile, “I guess that makes sense then.” They both lapsed into a comfortable quiet after that, each lost in their own thoughts for a time.

After a few more minutes passed without another word being spoken she looked back down at her watch. It was only a quarter after seven. Pursing her lips in thought, she glanced back over at her friend– he had gone back to grooming himself. She wondered how much of a cat's habits he had simply picked up over the years and how much of it were things he might do normally. She let the idea go, deeming it to be pointless.

Coraline was quickly growing bored. “Want to watch a movie or something? This is your last night here, we've already got everything ready for tonight and we still have a while before we need to head out.”

She would have continued asking him questions but she got the distinct feeling that he was going to grow tired of it soon. Plus, she didn't like the idea that the Other Mother might be listening. She had gotten to the questions she had most wanted answered, now she just wanted to get away from the little door and it's unpleasant prisoner.

For his part, the cat looked a little startled at the sudden suggestion. Just as quickly he smiled at her and a soft purr began sounding from his throat. “What did you have in mind?”

Her answering grin was a touch bitter sweet. “I don't know,” she said as she pushed herself back up from the floor. “You get to pick since you're the one who might not ever come back.”

“Sure, make it sound awful,” he answered as he joined her in standing. He couldn't help but to be flattered. It warmed his heart to know that he would be missed. Ready for a distraction before that train of thought lead to anything more heavy he pondered her offer. “I admit that I'm not up to date on the most modern entertainment...”

“Well, is there a classic that you've been dying to see? Obviously you aren't unfamiliar with our culture so you're bound to have picked some things up over time. Or, maybe, is there any particular genre you are interested in?” She was already going over titles in her head for backup in case he didn't have anything in mind. She had made him watch movies with her before but she had no idea which– if any – he had actually enjoyed.

“I will let you pick. We don't need you getting any more somber so let us go with something either light-hearted or action filled. I cannot say that I care for one over another,” he answered with a flick of his tail as he left the influence of magic radiating from the Beldame's domain.

“If you insist,” the girl replied solicitously. Without another word she bent down and scooped him up and he allowed the liberty, purring loudly in her arms as she walked them up to her bedroom. Her personal television wasn't as big as the family one in the den but her bed was more comfortable than the sofa, in her opinion. Belatedly, she wondered if she should call Wybie up and offer for him to come and join them. Part of her wanted this final goodbye to be just between the two of them, she felt like their battle won bond was almost too important to be intruded upon.

In the end, she felt guilty enough about being selfish that as she let the cat down onto her mattress, she grabbed her mobile from off her copy of _Little Women_ on top of the bedside table. She just hoped he wouldn't insist that they watch some old cheesy science fiction flick.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally got the idea for this story back in 2009 when I noticed the ring of mushrooms around the old well in the movie and I started writing this fic way back then. It's had two official rewrites since and I'm still in the process of writing chapters but if you've seen it on my FF.net account you know I'm a pretty good ways into it so there'll be at least a semi-steady stream of updates at least at first. 
> 
> Also, I don't follow all (or even most of) the rules generally associated with Magic(k)/ The Fairie or any of that. I draw a LOT of my inspiration from J.R.R Tolkien, Harry Potter, and Labyrinth-- specifically the fanfics of Labyrinth. I sort of blend and borrow ideas of folklore but I'm not a big stickler for following a given set of established beliefs.


	3. Not In Kansas Anymore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One should remember that magic isn't always predictable.  
> In which the Cat finds out what's been going on at home and a little bit more exposition must be borne.

“ _The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”_ – Alan Watts

 

With the unplanned movie throwing off the original schedule Wybie decided to leave a little early. After _Night at the Museum_ ended the boy left to go and pretend to be home for the night. Coraline and the cat departed stealthily a little while after. Wybie had left the bag of supplies with the two of them and promised not to be long. By the time that Coraline made it to the top of the hill in sight of the old well her watch read twenty-five minutes to twelve.

“Wow, we timed that pretty nice,” the girl commented as she sat the bag down on the ground and began pulling everything out. She placed the sage and other dried plants to one side, the incense to another and then dug out the seven candles that the cat said they would need. She had to quickly grab for several of the items as they threatened to take off in a sudden breeze. It was proving to be a windy night. She hoped that it wouldn't be storming any time soon. “I never thought I would be trying my hand at magic, you know. I like the idea of it but after the whole ordeal in the Other World it seemed best to just leave well enough alone.” Her hands shook a little bit in nervous expectation. The cold night air wasn't helping as another chill gust left her wishing she had worn a thicker sweater.

“Mer-ow,” the cat rubbed against her arm in something like reassurance. His blue eyes reflected in the moon light, which seemed brighter than normal this evening, but she was sure that was just her imagination.

“Aaand, I'm out on a school night. I'm turning into a regular deviant, huh?” She was joking to keep the mood from getting too heavy. It was one of the reasons they had decided on a comedy movie, something to take their minds off of the upcoming task. Goodbyes were always hard. “I hope this works. I _really_ don't feel comfortable killing you. In fact, if this doesn't work I would say you're stuck over here. It wouldn't be so bad! I'd make sure you were well fed... by making sure that Mrs. Lovat stays in good health. Because, goodness knows unless mom is cooking you're liable to leave my place with food poisoning.” She knew she was rambling but by this point she didn't care.

She put everything in order around the toadstool fairy circle that framed the muddy lid of the old well. Behind her the cat would delicately use his paw to move something to one side or another as she worked. After the candles were in place, she stuck the sticks of dragon's blood between them but refrained from lighting anything– she worried they might not even stay lit in this wind. Finished with the task she wandered over to a fallen tree and sat down to wait on Wybie to join them.

After giving the area one last critical look to make sure nothing had been blown out of place, the cat joined her on the log. Without thinking anything about it she scooped him up into her lap and began petting him to pass the time. “I realize this is probably really weird when one thinks about it,” she mused out loud. “I mean, we've already established that you're not _really_ a cat and that you're _really_ old. But I don't really care. I've only ever known you as a cat and you've never objected to pettings.” He only purred in reply. “I should have thought to ask you what you really look like. Too late now, I guess.”

The minutes ticked by unnoticed as they enjoyed the crisp night air and the sound of the wind in the trees. Coraline worked to keep her fingers from going numb by keeping them busy with the cat's warm fur.

“Psst! Yo, Jonsey! Are we ready to go?” The quiet was interrupted by Wybie sauntering up the hill in the darkness. His preference for dark clothing made him nearly invisible in the dim light.

“Yeah, I think so. Did you bring a lighter?” She asked as she let the cat back down and stood up to welcome the last member of their little trio.

“There's a box of matches in the satchel,” he answered.

Coraline retrieved them and then they both got to work. Once they were done he lifted the cat up in an affectionate embrace. “I'm definitely going to miss you, buddy. Come back and visit, if you ever get the chance."

“Mer-ow,” the thin feline answered. They both took it to mean that he agreed to try and that he would miss them too. Wybie then set him in the center of the two rings so that he wouldn't have to jump over. Once the cat was in place Wybie lit the two bundles of sage and handed one to Coraline.

“What time is it?”

Coraline brought her wrist close to her face and squinted, using the slight glow of the burning herbs in her hand to help see. “We've got three minutes. I hope the wind holds off for a little while longer.”

“Yeah, no kidding. Couldn't have picked a worse time to do something like this except for maybe in an all out thunder storm,” the boy agreed in a wry tone. He took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. “At least it smells nice, tonight. I think if I _had_ needed my room fumigated, these would have certainly worked.”

Coraline sniffed the air appreciatively as well. “Mmhm,” her response was a bit distracted. In her head she was going over the words that the cat had taught them. She really did not want to mess this up for him. “Alright, here we go.” The wind seemed to pick up at her words, almost as if to spite them.

The seconds counted down and they began reciting the incantation that the cat had taught them. Coraline's heart beat loudly in her ears. There seemed to be an almost electric hum to the air. The night felt suddenly charged and her fingers and nose tingled in response. Wybie was saying the last four lines – her part of it was over– when the unthinkable happened. The uncooperative wind was able to knock over one of the candles in the inner circle. Without thinking of the consequences, Coraline quickly lunged forward to right it before the flame could blow out.

There was a flash bright as lightening and a boom louder than thunder and suddenly she felt weightless.

 

oOoOoOo

 

Someone was calling her name, but she wasn't sure who. “Coraline!” There was a note of desperation in the voice. She knew this voice, but could not place the name. Her limbs felt heavy and her eyes were being extraordinarily difficult to open.

“Jus' a min...” she muttered with effort.

“You cannot just go jumping into spells like that, you foolish girl!” The disembodied voice scolded. “By that point, it still would have worked even if the candle had tipped over. Please, in the future, try to think before you act.”

She was being held intimately, she vaguely realized. Someone was cradling her in their lap and her torso was in the circle of unknown arms. Whoever it was, they sounded extremely worried. “Sorry,” she managed to mutter. Bit by bit she remembered the last few moments leading up to this predicament. That must mean the cat was the one supporting her head on his shoulder. She wondered if they had made it to his world or if they were trapped in some black limbo. Or maybe she should just work on opening her eyes.

With more will power than she realized she possessed she forced her lids apart. They were in a circular room made of stone with a high ceiling. She could make out torches set into the wall from over the shoulder of the man holding her protectively. “Look at me, please, let me see your eyes. Tell me, what is your name, where do you live, and do you have feeling in all of your limbs?”

She refocused her attention to the face looming over her own and her eyes met anxious, familiar, blue eyes. She blinked in slight surprise before managing to answer, “Coraline Jones, the Pink Palace, and I think so. They're still kind of tingly, though.” As the seconds slipped by she became more coherent and the weights that had seemed tethered to her body lifted. She rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands then blinked more rapidly as she oriented herself to the situation at hand.

She was no longer on Earth. She had no idea how she was going to get back. She was sitting in the lap of a very naked, very not cat, man. Suddenly mortified she attempted to scramble away from him but he only tightened his grip at her unexpected, frantic break for freedom. He misinterpreted her actions as a side effect of the spell and was attempting to sooth her. “It's alright,” he said in a low rumble as he worked to keep her in place. “Let me make sure you don't have a concussion or anything more serious.”

“You're totally naked!” She pointed out in a disbelieving shriek.

He laughed deeply and with relief as he let her go before climbing to his own feet. “Yes, well, I certainly wasn't wearing clothes when we left, why would I suddenly be doing so now?” He found the strength to smirk despite the precarious situation. “If you would have behaved yourself and stayed on your side of the veil it wouldn't even be an issue.”

Her hands flew to her face as she covered her eyes in embarrassed modesty. Accepting that she was likely in perfect health, the former cat took a hurried glance around the room. He quickly stepped down from the enchanted pedestal that had undone his feline form and found the alcove wherein a large collection of robes and gowns were kept for those arriving here in transition from an animal body. He quickly shrugged into one of the simple brown garments then turned his attention back to his unintended tag-along. “Okay, you can open your eyes again, I'm decent.”

Coraline lifted her gaze slowly, as if afraid that he might be lying. For the first time since regaining consciousness she allowed herself to take a good look at him. He was currently dressed in a style best described as that of a medieval monk but she paid that detail little mind. His overall features were sharp and narrow, similar to how he had been as a cat.

The man was tall, sinewy, and with just enough toned muscle to keep him from looking starved and instead loaned him the physique of an athletic runner. His skin was a shade darker than she had imagined and had the olive glow often associated with those around the Mediterranean, making him closer to Wybie's pigmentation than her own. Uneven, short cropped, black hair fell in an almost feathery way around his face; his bangs were brushed to the side but were long enough to be a bother to his vision if the wind were to blow the wrong way. He was still missing a chunk of his ear and that side of his face also sported a jagged scar from eyebrow to jaw.

“When you told me how old you were, I didn't expect you to look so... young,” she managed to say after a few minutes of embarrassed oogling. 'Nor did I expect you to actually be attractive,' she added to herself silently.

At his pleased smile she worried for a fleeting moment if he might also be psychic. His face hardened instantly and his eyes flew to the door that stood behind her, his ears twitching in a manner that looked almost strange with a human's features. “Come here and stand behind me, they weren't expecting company and I don't want you accidentally hurt,” he instructed crisply. Once he was protectively positioned in front of her he called out in a clear tone to the approaching footfalls that were now audible to even her. “Identify yourselves, please.”

“Is that you, Sereno?” Came a light feminine voice in answer. “And what are you doing demanding identification when you're the one who's shown up all of a sudden unannounced!” Without further ado, the door to the room was tossed open and Coraline was able to see around her friend to the two young women that stood in the entrance.

“Good to have you back, we need all the higher ranking forces we can get,” the second girl said with a friendly smile. Coraline noted that this second speaker was about two inches taller than herself, thin, with bright hazel eyes and long auburn hair that fell loosely down past her shoulders.

“I assume you've noticed that the Transit Stone has been temporarily warded and placed under guard. Glad to see that you remembered one of the Old Ways. We can use the extra hands,” the first girl said approvingly. This girl was shorter than her friend and roughly eye level with Coraline, making her five foot five, at least. She had long, brick red hair piled over both shoulders in two looping braids that, if loose, would probably fall to her hip. She looked to be a little more filled out than her friend but before Coraline could log any more details of the two away, the red-head's light brown eyes locked onto her. “Who's this?”

“She helped me get back here, her and our other friend. Given the limited resources, I used the spell that needed two extra bodies to cast, she accidentally got caught in the magic,”the man explained with a calm that Coraline herself did not feel. She was extremely grateful that he had glossed over the unflattering details of the accident– jumping in without thinking had not been one of her brighter moments.

“Is she human?” The second girl asked, curiously, peering around the male in order to get a better look at their unexpected guest.

“Yeah, I'm human,” Coraline answered, feeling a little irritated at being talked around rather than addressed directly.

“Oh. It's just that you have a very odd coloring for one. I would have thought maybe you were half fairy, they're usually the ones with the vibrant hair,” the taller girl elaborated with a grin.

“Ah, no, this is just dye. My actual hair color is brown. Um. It's nice to meet you, I guess? My name is Coraline Jones.” She stepped out from behind her friend and he relaxed his stance.

“It is nice to meet you as well, though it would be considerably nicer were circumstances less turbulent. I'm afraid you've caught us at a terribly bad time to be hosting visitors. My name is Althea, by the way. And this is her royal majesty, princess Dawn,” the auburn haired girl introduced herself and her companion.

Coraline's eyes widened. She had not been expecting to meet royalty, never mind how completely informal and almost nonchalant the setting was on top of it. This whole night was moving from strange and unexpected into downright weird and dream like. She spared a quick glance to her side to judge her friend's reaction and gleaned nothing from his expression for any hint on what to do. Did she curtsy? Did she bow? Did she just smile and return a pleasantry and an apology? “Um –”

She was cut off by a loud crash at the end of the corridor beyond the room's door and suddenly everyone was on high alert. The human girl noticed with a spectator's interest that the former cat beside her had dropped into a slight crouch and his fists were brought up in a boxer's stance. The two girls closest to the door had adopted similar postures; the only major difference was that surrounding the one introduced as Althea was a sudden swirling of wind that whipped her hair slightly and brought the already cool temperature in the room down another degree.

“Dawn?” Came a loud and echoing call from the hallway and instantly the mood changed again as the three locals dropped their threatening stances. “You need to stop running off without warning! The castle is under high alert for a reason, we don't need you just blazing about!”

“In here, Marion,” Dawn answered in an equally loud and exasperated voice. “Sereno made it home.”

A second later and another body entered the already crowded room. The small circular space clearly wasn't built to accommodate more than a few people at a time and the atmosphere was quickly becoming claustrophobic. Any unease she had at feeling boxed-in was pushed aside by curiosity as she took in the sight of this newest person. The man who entered was by far the most exotic person she had ever seen. Well, most exotic person of flesh and blood, anyway. She had seen enough _things_ to slightly dull the surprise.

The new arrival stood easily at six foot four with broad shoulders and a well toned, demanding frame. He had light silvery hair that was styled close to the head on the sides and swept into a semi faux-hawk up top. The short haircut accentuated the sharp elvish ears that rose roughly two inches further out than a human's went. His dark brown eyes took in the scene with noticeable confusion.

It didn't seem to take him long to accept and adjust to the scene he had stumbled in on. “Good to see that the Transit Stone going down didn't keep you away. We still have about twenty people who were out of boarders when we had to shut it down who haven't made it back yet. Still no word if they'll be riding out the chaos abroad orwill be resourceful like yourself and come home before the going gets too rough.”

“And on that note, would someone mind telling me what is going on?” Sereno asked in a bored tone, crossing his arms and looking expectant.

“Four days ago a man arrived through the Transit Stone: Ealhdun of the Fae. As you might recall, he is Adderrik's cousin. It seems his majesty Adderrik has found himself a Transit Stone as well– one of the two previously assumed lost. Ealhdun volunteered to test the pathways of the stone and came here. He says he wished to warn Morgana of his cousin's designs for conquest,” Althea explained in a rush.

Sereno's eyes narrowed. “Sounds rather suspicious. What did he say his reasoning was?” The truth was, he was not surprised to learn that the current goings on were somehow Adderrik's fault.

“He's banking on our side winning, of course,” Marion answered. He ran a hand through his silver hair and sighed, “He says he wants the crown for himself and hopes this conflict will give it to him without him having to openly turn on his mother's nephew.”

“And this Adderrik guy just let his high ranking relative go off exploring some teleportation stone rather than having some expendable lackey do it?” Coraline interjected suddenly. She had been following the conversation with avid interest. The names meant next to nothing to her but it all sounded very interesting.

All eyes turned to her suddenly and with obvious surprise. After a brief pause Marion answered her, “Well, yes, clearly we came to the same conclusion. He's currently being interviewed by our resident Seer to make sure he's telling the truth.” He seemed to smirk to himself before adding, “Assuming that he's in honest, how he managed to successfully come into this task could be marked up to the king wanting rid of him just as much as he wants rid of the king. Adderrik was probably hoping the first pathway he tried was to the stone lost to the bottom of the ocean; or, if he did make it here, that we killed him without hesitation.”

“Ah. Sounds like something out of a Shakespeare play,” Coraline muttered to herself. Then, to everyone else, “Well! Best of luck with all that. Now, how do I get back home?”

Dawn gave her a look that was half pity and half amusement at her blunt attitude. “I'm afraid we cannot do anything tonight. With the Stone unusable we would have to use a ritual similar to the one that brought you here. Gathering supplies will take time and in addition, such intricate spells need to be done at certain points in a day, they do not just work at random– which is one of the reasons the Transit Stones are so very useful.”

With a growing sense of dread, Coraline dared to ask her next question, “So how long am I stuck here for?”

“Until tomorrow. At noon would be the earliest, but given the current security measures in place, I would say you will have to wait until midnight,” Althea answered.

“So it works on a twelve hour cycle? Okay... that isn't so bad. I'll be getting my head chewed off by mom when I get back, but, twenty-four hours is a lot better than nothing.” With the sense of impending doom lifted, Coraline straitened to full height and smiled winningly. “Alright then. I hope you don't mind my staying, since you're stuck with me.”

Dawn placed a finger to her chin in thought, looking the foreigner up and down in consideration. “For a human, you sure are taking all of this rather well. I understand Sereno must have found some way to communicate with you _and_ manage to impart strictly guarded trade secrets of inner-realm travel,” she gave the man a pointed look, to which he only shrugged, “but, given that, you don't seem all that fussed about any of this.”

Coraline just laughed, “Well, I do have a bit of a history with magic and falling into other worlds. It's a long story.”

Althea's small smile, which had been present nearly the entire conversation, grew wider at the other girl's casual statement, “That sounds like an interesting tale. I would enjoy hearing it sometime.”

 


	4. The Art of Adjustment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Coraline gets to know her friend better as a person as opposed to a cat and Wybie works on coping with his friend's sudden disappearance.

“ _Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.” – Gilda Radner_

“So, Sereno, you seemed to have neglected to mention that you live in a friggin' castle,” Coraline said with a tone that was trying for casual but was in fact far too excited. She also seemed to take immense pleasure in finally knowing his name and insisted on using it every other sentence. At first he wasn't sure if it pleased him or annoyed him that she finally knew his given name. She was acting like he'd been purposefully withholding it from her, like she had finally been let in on some grand secret. He distinctly remembered explaining to her why he wouldn't tell her before so he couldn't understand what the big deal was. It occurred to him, belatedly, that she was just giving him a hard time for the fun of it and had nothing to do with his name.

The two friends had relocated to Sereno's private rooms for the night. There was space enough that she could have had a room to herself, but with the added precautions in place, everyone agreed it was for the best that she stay with someone. Being well acquainted with one another it was an obvious choice who she should room with. The man paused in his work of adding pillows and a cover to his small couch and turned his attention to her, lifting one finely pointed eyebrow in smug acknowledgment. “Would it have made any difference at all if I had?” He shrugged, “At some point I did mention that I worked for a queen, didn't I?”

“Yeah, but it doesn't follow that that meant you lived in the castle. You could just as easily have a home somewhere else and answer summons or something,” she defended while she situated herself on his large king sized mattress. The giant canopy bed dominated the room. She had been given a modest, light blue nightdress and was getting quite cozy. He had been rather firm in that she should have the bed while he would take the sofa across the room. It wouldn't even properly accommodate his long frame.

“Actually, I do have property elsewhere. A nice single-story home out in the countryside. I also own several pieces of land under false names on Earth. It's always good to have options,” he said before lying down and kicking his legs over the arm of the couch. He had changed out of the formless brown robe into a pair of loose fitting slacks that looked more like they belonged in her world than his and a long, gray nightshirt.

“If you're trying to brag then you are succeeding with flying colors. Ugh, this is stupid, why wont you just take the bed? Look at you! You're falling off that thing.” She had protested half-heartedly when he had first suggested the sleeping arrangements but now that she actually saw him on the dainty furniture she felt the need to try once more to change his mind.

“Fine, if it will make you happy,” he said with a huff, getting back up and crossing the room.

As Coraline got back off the bed and made for the couch she caught sight of the secretive little smile playing across his features. “Wait a minute! This was what you were hoping for from the beginning wasn't it?”

Sereno let out a long and exasperated sigh, “You're the one who would not let it rest. You can't take it back now. The issue is settled.” He sprang onto the mattress with a relish that further compounded Coraline's suspicions.

“I bet you just wanted to make a show of looking like you're chivalrous but were secretly banking on getting the bed,” she accused. Despite the assertion she couldn't keep back a grin.

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” he claimed with affected bewilderment.

The girl just rolled her eyes and sat down on the dark red upholstery of the couch. Its cushions were firm and unyielding; clearly it was only meant for decoration rather than frequent use. She jumped back to her feet quickly and snatched up the pillows and cover that he had deposited on it. “That's it, we're sharing,” she declared imperiously. “Besides, it's not like this bed isn't big enough. Heck, you could fit four people on here comfortably. Also! It isn't as if you haven't made yourself comfortable in _my_ bed over the years.”

Sereno merely scooted over and shot her a cheeky smirk. “It sounds more like you are trying to sell yourself on the idea.”

“So what if I am?” She shot back defensively. “Doesn't mean I'm not going to do it. You just stay under your covers and I'll use this one and this wont be weird at all! At least, not any weirder than it already is,” she mused aloud.

The former cat just laughed and rolled over, burying his face into the soft linen of his pillow. “Alright, whatever works for you.” His tone took on a playful tilt when he added, “I don't suppose you would mind rubbing my back like you used to? It never fails to send me right to sleep.”

She kicked his leg through the covers. “Jerk,” she muttered while flopping onto her back to stare up at the burgundy colored canopy that blocked the ceiling. Despite the late hour and all the excitement and running around she had done earlier she wasn't the least bit sleepy. Around them the lights were dimming as if on an automatic timer. She found it mildly interesting but not enough to comment on. By this point magic just seemed the general excuse for everything and very few things seemed odd when viewed in that light. “As many free back rubs as your fuzzy butt got, by this point _you_ should be the one to rub _my_ back.”

She had been completely joking when she said this and so was both shocked and flustered when he simply turned around and serenely instructed her to roll over. Her eyes grew large and she stared at him incredulously. “What?”

“You are quite right, I owe you at least _one_ back rub,” he replied with a lazy drawl.

Her eyes narrowed, “What's your angle?”

He chuckled and gestured with his hand that she should flip over, “Don't read so much into it, Coraline. Honestly, it is a wonderful method of relaxing and right now you are strung tighter than a violin. We both know you aren't a morning person at the best of times but the castle is alive at sunrise and if you do not go to sleep soon you're not going to be very presentable tomorrow.”

“Oh, har-har,” she snipped, crossing her arms in mock offense. He merely prodded her shoulder in response and with a huff of annoyed surrender she rolled over to lie on her stomach. “Fine, but you had better keep this G rated or else.”

Sereno laughed again, “Honestly, what do you take me for? Besides, I'm far too old for you.”

“Whatever,” she grumbled as she buried her face in her borrowed pillow. Sereno took a moment to rearrange himself comfortably and propped himself up on his elbow with his own pillow tucked between the bend of his arm. She tensed involuntarily when his hand landed on her back but slowly she began to relax under his rhythmic kneading. After a few quite minutes in which she was slowly reduced to a liquid she managed to mutter, “Now I see why you like this so much.”

“Mmhm,” was his only response as he continued. His mind was a thousand miles away as he pondered the strange young woman who was innocently sharing his bed and the potentially dangerous situation in which she had found herself. He let his fingers work on autopilot while his thoughts slipped away.

Coraline had always struck him as a unique individual; she was brave, confident and an idealist. He had watched her lose a lot of the naivety of childhood and navigate the murky streams of early adolescence. This year had marked a transition for her: she was now considered an adult in her world but he wondered if she would ever fully belong to that title. There was an untouchable sincerity and conviction in his young friend. The trials of the Beldame should have removed that innocence or at least dimmed it, and yet she remained bright and sure of herself. He decided that he would miss her when they sent her home.

'When this little conflict is over, I shall have to continue to visit her and Wybourne.' With that thought he was suddenly overcome with the weight of their mortality. 'Damn, when did this happen?' He never let himself get too attached to humans. He always outlived them and this time he knew it was going to hurt a lot more than it ever had in the past, with the possible exception of one other instance.

Her breathing had evened out and Sereno noticed that she had finally succumbed to sleep. Now, if only he could do the same.

 

oOoOoOo

 

The sun shinning intrusively onto her face woke her. As cozy as her own bed was, she couldn't recall ever being so warm and comfortable before. She didn't bother covering her yawn as she lazily rolled over. It was early morning and the dawn snaking through the partially cracked curtains was a bright pink and gold. Beside her Sereno was still asleep with one arm thrown up over his face and hiding his eyes. She took a few minutes to look him over as best she could around the covers and his partially obscured head.

She took a deep breath that turned into another yawn that then turned into a stretch. 'I wonder if he'll let me take a pillow or two back home with me, these things are wonderful.' Without thinking about it she leaned into it and took another deep breath, this time to sniff the bedding. The pillow she was borrowing had an odd earthy quality to it. It smelled clean but it also smelled of mountain air and sandalwood. She wondered if it was a quality of the sheets or some combination of his natural smell. Curious, she shifted a hair closer to her friend.

“Are you sniffing me?” The voice was rough with sleep but there was no denying the undertone of mischief.

Coraline jumped reflexively while her face quickly flushed scarlet. “Cripes a might, ya jerk face!” She swatted him with her pillow. “You startled me!” For the briefest of moments she debated on how to answer his question in order to save as much face as possible. “And yes, I was.” Honesty is the best police, after all.

“Dare I ask why?” She could tell it was taking a great effort on his part not to burst out laughing. His blue eyes were glittering with poorly concealed mirth.

“Because, your blankets and pillows smell nice and that made me wonder if it was the laundry or just your natural smell.” With a smirk and another swat with the pillow she declared, “Turns out, it's just the pillows. You still smell like an animal.” He didn't really, not quite. There was something wild in his scent that matched the pleasantness she had caught on her pillowcase but there would be no living with him now, might as well try and give him a hard time.

“Oh?” In a human form or not, he practically purred the question. Without warning he rolled over and grabbed her around the stomach and dragged her to him completely. He made a show of sniffing the skin exposed at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. “Well, you smell like a teenager.”

“I would take offense at your tone but seeing as how there's no other way for me to smell, I wont. But, now that I think about it, I'm sure I'm getting a little ripe. Do you guys have showers over here? I mean, indoor plumbing is a thing for you all, isn't it?” She pushed away from him and made a face. Her babbling was mostly to try and disguise how flustered he had made her with that little stunt. 'Now, Coraline, we must not start having inappropriate thoughts about our former pet,' she scolded herself within the privacy of her skull.

His answering laugh was deep and genuine. “Yes, the door there across the room leads to the suit's washroom. Just toss the content of the chamber-pot out the window when you're done with it.” He laughed harder when he saw the look of horror on her face. “I'm joking!” He dodged another swipe of her pillow before adding, “Yes, we have perfectly functional plumbing. What are you planning to change into? Why don't you wait until I can go and lift some clothes from Dawn's room.”

“You are _not_ going to steal from a princess on my account! I was just going to change back into the clothes I wore yesterday, they aren't _that_ dirty.” She protested firmly as she kicked the covers off of herself.

“She won't mind. Besides, you would stick out like a sunflower in a rosebush in your earth clothes,” he pointed out.

“Oh yes, because I've always been all about conformity.” She snipped back with a roll of her eyes.

“Well in this case it would be better for your safety not to draw attention to yourself,” he responded reasonably. “There's an unknown element in the castle and fae aren't generally known for their indifference to young human females.

“Ah, sure, if that's the case! Go ahead and try to dress me up in fine princess regalia, I'm sure _that_ wouldn't be weird, either.” It wasn't that she was opposed to the idea of wearing a pretty dress, but she did not want to be an inconvenience.

“You do realize she has plain attire as well? I know your only reference for what you think our fashion consists of is from period drama movies on earth but Dawn isn't that sort of princess... most days. In fact, she's about as much of a tomboy as you are,” he explained. “I'm only suggesting raiding her closet because she's the closest to your figure. Also, despite what it may look like on the surface, we did not time travel. This isn't the fourteenth century. We play by our own rules here in Helianth.”

With that he rolled out of bed, and sprang lightly to his feet. He showed far more pep than anyone had any right to have this early in the morning. “Now, stop arguing and go ahead and take your shower. As long as you usually take, I'll be back in plenty of time. The knob of the left is hot, the right is cold and pull up on the lever in the center to turn on the overhead spray.”

Coraline decided that perhaps it would be best not to argue any further. It was clear that he was going to do what he wanted in the end and it was only clothes, after all. She had a whole castle she wanted to explore and if she needed to be in a fancy dress to do it then so be it. “Okay, one question: do you have both shampoo and conditioner?”

With a shake of his head and a toothy grin he proceeded her into the bathroom. He lead her past an old fashioned looking claw tub trimmed with bright silver before stopping in front of separate shower stall. He pointed to a rack built into the wall, “Green bottle is for your hair, the blue bottle is soap and towels and rags are in the cabinet below the sink.”

“It's getting harder and harder for me to believe that you willingly spend so much time as a feral cat out in the sticks with us. I mean, come on! This is just a bathroom and it's bigger than my whole bedroom,” she had to admit, she was impressed. So far his décor had proved to be expensive looking without seeming garish, which she found as a nice plus. “You're not an example of the renegade rich-boy trope by any chance, are you?”

“Not at all,” he answered while taking her teasing in stride. “I already told you how old I am, even the finest accommodations can become boring if seen too often. I'm a nature spirit, living off the land is just as nice as retiring to finery.”

“If you say so. Alright, go commit theft if you're going to. Preferably, I would have you ask nicely. And please, make sure it is something I would actually wear. I _will_ wear my own clothes if you bring me back something outrageous,” she instructed with a smile. He only nodded so she shooed him out and began examining the bathroom in earnest. After picking out the softest towel of the bunch and unabashedly peeking into the other drawers she turned back to the shower and turned on the water.

As she stood under the warm spray she picked up the dainty glass bottle that Sereno had indicated earlier and sniffed experimentally. This appeared to be the source of at least part of his pleasant smell as the slightly masculine musk of sandalwood greeted her inquisitive nose. Hoping that the foreign substance would not strip any of the color from her most recent dye job she lathered a generous helping into her hands and worked it into her hair. 'This is so surreal. I can't wait to tell Wybie about this place,' she thought to herself. She suddenly stopped in mid scrub.

“Ah, dangit! I forgot all about Wybie! He's probably freaking out right now!”

 

oOoOoOo

 

Wybourne was indeed freaking out. His legs would not let him stand still as he paced around the old well and the rings of incense and candles. Only the sticks of dragon's blood continued to burn, whether by the spell's force or the autumn's wind, the candles had all been blown out. It had been five whole minutes now and neither of them had returned.

“Oh this is bad. This is _so_ bad!” The teen was working extremely hard not panic. “Okay, let's think about this rationally. The cat knew a spell to send him over there, surely there's spells to send Coraline back! A-a-and it's only been a few minutes. They probably just need time to get something together! I mean, we certainly took a little while to find everything needed. It stands to reason that they would too.”

He walked over to the log that Coraline had been sitting on earlier and sat down. He ran his gloved hands through his wild and windswept hair. “Oh man... what am I gonna do?” He jumped right back to his feet, his nerves not letting him stay in one spot for long. He began pacing again. “What even _can_ I do? She would have to come back from that side, wouldn't she? I don't even know if they made it! What if something went wrong?”

His stomach was in uncomfortable knots and his hands were shaking in a way that had nothing to do with the cold night. “Wait! Wait! D-d-didn't Ms. Spink say s-something about coming to her if we ever needed something regarding the supernatural?” The idea sounded good until spoken out loud. “Ah, but what would they know? They're next to insane! B-but... it might not hurt. They're really my only option at this point.” He looked back at the empty fairy ring and bit his lower lip nervously.

He walked back over to the log once more and sat back down. “I'll give her a few hours. She needs to be back before sunrise. That should be p-plenty of time. Grams wont be up until a little after that and hopefully neither will Mr. or Mrs. Jones... So, really, I need to go and ask Spink and Forcible for advice an hour before that. Now I wish I would have brought my watch!” He gave an unexpected sneeze. “And maybe another jacket and a blanket wouldn't be a bad idea.”

He jumped back up yet again. There would be plenty of time for sitting around later. He was going to have to run back home for supplies and just hope and pray his grandmother did not hear him. He would be pushing his luck but he realized he couldn't just sit out here for six hours with only his windbreaker and no way to keep track of time. Maybe he had an unopened can of energy drink lying around in his room as well? If he thought he could get away with it he would try to sneak some coffee from the kitchen but if the noise wouldn't wake his grandmother the rich aroma would.

Feeling a little better now that he had some semblance of a plan of action Wybie made his way carefully down the dirt path. He was really going to have to give Coraline a piece of his mind when she got back. Because, she was _definitely_ going to be coming back. There was no reason to worry otherwise, he decided. They would figure _something_ out, even if it meant teaching someone else the ritual the cat had taught to him and Jonesy and going across the veil after her. Now there was a scary thought. But, he would do it if he needed to. He just really hoped it wouldn't come to that. “Please be okay, Coraline,” he whispered under his breath. A sharp gust of wind to the face was his only answer.

 

oOoOoOo

 

After shutting off the water, Coraline poked her head out from behind the curtain to give a cautionary look around to make sure that Sereno had shut the door back behind him. He had delivered her new clothes while she was still reveling in the hot water – she had never been one to take a reasonable time in the bath and her parents had fussed about this habit for years. Resting on the marble sink counter was a neatly folded cream colored gown.

She quickly dried herself off and unfolded the doubtlessly expensive outfit she would be wearing today. Wrapping her violet tresses in a pile on top of her head with the towel she worked on getting dressed. There were certainly more layers than she had been expecting. After the initial struggle everything began to come together and she admired herself in the mirror. The dress had an off the shoulder neckline with an empire waistline that she felt flattered her modest cleavage better than anything she'd ever worn. She had never been bothered by the fact that she was on the flat-chested side but this outfit lent her curves an extra emphasis. She was nearly self-conscious about it.

Now, what to do about her hair? If her previous investigation was anything to go by, hair-dryers didn't exist here. She would feel a little weird about wearing such a nice dress with stringy, wet hair but she would have to make due. Giving her head one last rub down she tossed the damp towel over the curtain rod of the tub then snatched up Sereno's comb to work out the tangles.

A knock at the door distracted her momentarily. “Are you decent?” Her friend asked and at her answer he let himself in. He smirked appreciatively at the picture she made. “I know you favor bright colors but Dawn is more into earth tones and I didn't think any of her other informal dresses would have complemented your hair color half as well as this one.” He crossed the room and opened one of the drawers and pulled out a nondescript bag that she had noticed earlier. “You look nice, by the way.” He held the bag out to her, “Here, hold this at level with your collar for best results. Close your eyes and open the drawstrings.”

She took the bag but looked at him skeptically. “What's in it?”

“Air,” he answered cryptically.

“So, it's empty? What are you playing at? Is this going to make me smell bad? Magic perfume?”

Sereno rolled his eyes, “Just do as I said and you will see.”

She shrugged and followed the instructions he had given. Her head was immediately wrapped in a whirlwind. The sensation almost took her breath away and it took her a few seconds to realize it's purpose. When she pulled the strings tight again her hair was wild and in need of a brush but it was dry. “Wow, that's nifty.” She looked down at the little pouch in wonder. Then she laughed. “Is this a sample size of what Odysseus had with the bag of wind in Homer's story?”

Sereno laughed, “I know you read a lot but I never took you for a history lover. To answer your question, yes, it is. There's more truth to the old poem than one might think. Most of it is exaggerated, a lot of it is just plain invented, but there _are_ truths here and there.”

“I'm okay at history, but we had to do a thing on him in English one year.” She picked the comb back up and battled her wild stands into submission. “So! What's on the schedule for today? I expect the grand tour.”

“Well, first thing is first, we need to have you meet with Morgana or her adviser, Reynar. I believe Dawn and Althea have already informed her of your situation but formalities need to be adhered to.” He placed a finger on his chin and tiled his head to the. “I know you can be a charming young lady when you want to be, let's see that side of you today.”

“Oh shut up, jerkwad. I'm downright pleasant!. I don't know what you're going on about,” she shot back. She knew he was only baiting her but she rose to it anyway. She wondered if she should be grateful that he had been mute for the majority of their friendship or regret that she'd been missing out on these snark battles. Wybie liked to tease her but even he wasn't this sassy. 'Maybe it has something to do with him spending so much time as a cat. They're pretty self-important creatures, after all. Must be a side-effect,' she reflected as she finished with her primping.

“Official introductions first and then we shall be taking breakfast in the Green Room, according to Althea. She chased me down as I was leaving Dawn's room with your clothes. Apparently, there are quite a few people interested in meeting you.” Sereno explained as he quickly combed through his own short hair. He looked at her reflection through the mirror and his expression softened a little. “You really do look nice.”

Despite her best efforts to prevent it, a blush graced her cheeks. “Thanks.” Shaking herself to disperse the mood she stood up straighter and threw her shoulders back. “Alright, lets go and get this over with.”

 


	5. Forward Movement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which more of the cast is introduced and excitement interrupts breakfast. 
> 
> (mentions of drug-use, paranoia, and very mild violence towards the end)

_Beginnings are sudden, but also insidious. They creep up on you sideways, they keep to the shadows, they lurk unrecognized. Then, later, they spring.” –_ _Margaret Artwood, ‘Der Blind Mörder’/’The Blind Assassin’_

 

 

 

Morgana came off as intense and intimidating despite her perfect manners and sweetly melodic voice. Perhaps it was because she was pretty and seemingly mild tempered that made her so off-putting to Coraline. She'd had enough experience with powerful women who wore grace and charm to hide their strength to be unsettled. She was just glad that this time the woman in question had innumerable alibis to attest that she was not a murderous psychopath. The elf queen's piercing black eyes had felt deep and cutting and Coraline was extremely grateful when the brief introduction ended. Afterward, the young woman reasoned away her unease by concluding that being queen was a stressful job on it's own, never mind also potentially being at war, and decided to let the matter of the monarch's unnerving aura slide.

After she had been dismissed with a polite equivalent of 'enjoy your stay' she and Sereno made their way to the aforementioned Green Room for refreshments. She made sure to ask if they could take the long way so that she could look around. “It's a castle,” Sereno responded. “Every way is the long way unless your destination is lucky enough to be the next room over.” Sarcasm aside, she was very pleased with that answer. Coraline had never thought of herself as a materialistic sort of person but each new hall they passed through left her thoroughly awed. By the time they reached the designated parlor she was feeling very impressed and distinctly aware of how out of her depth she was. But being in over her head had never stopped her before, so she wasn't going to let it get to her now.

For a place named specifically after a single color, Coraline had been expecting something more theme oriented. As it happened, the Green Room was an inoffensive bluish-green with white furniture, white trim and upholstery that looked like it had been made entirely out of peacock feathers. The room would have been more aptly called 'sea-foam' in her opinion but she figured it was in part downplaying the pompous rich décor by limiting it to simply 'green'.

Already seated were the two women from the previous night and the silver haired elf from before. Joining them were two new faces. The first was another elf who had platinum blond hair pulled into a low tail and light green eyes. His features were strikingly similar to the other elf he was sitting beside: pale skin, narrow faced, tall and rather hansom. The fourth and last person looked human. Her medium brown skin seemed a sudden turn from the two elves beside her. Her thick chestnut hair fell in tight ringlets down her shoulders and was pulled back from her heart-shaped face with a light blue scarf that matched her sundress. To Coraline, the curly haired stranger looked more like she belonged on earth picnicking in a park rather than in a castle flanked by magic. Then she caught the other female's eyes and recanted her opinion. The woman's eyes were so light a green that they were almost silver, an otherworldly color that almost looked like they might glow in the dark.

“Welcome!” Althea jumped to her feet and motioned the two late comers over to the table to join them. The two elves stood as well, evidently as an act of chivalry rather than eagerness. “Coraline, you've already met Marion; this is his brother Ralston and their half-sister, Tamara.”

'Half-sister?' She had not been expecting that. Yet, sure enough, as she got closer to the table, dainty points were visible beneath the voluminous curls. “Nice to meet you both,” she replied with a wide and agreeable smile. She hadn't bowed to the other three last night so she made no formal gestures now. She _had_ attempted to curtsy to Morgana earlier, but that had been different circumstances altogether. Nice dress or not, she felt it best to not put on airs. Speaking of nice dresses, “Thank you for loaning this, Dawn. It's very lovely and much nicer than anything I own back home.”

The redhead smiled pleasantly and nodded, “You're very welcome. It looks nice on you. Would you like to keep it?”

Coraline's eyes widened a fraction, “Um... I guess? Are you sure, though?”

The other woman shrugged, “Believe me when I say that I am not in anyway trying to flaunt my wealth, but I _am_ a princess. I have more clothes than I know what to do with. I'm not treating it like charity, either, I merely don't care about dresses and finery as much as I used to.”

“Oh, well, in that case, thanks.” Sereno pulled out a chair for her and Coraline sat in it, giving him a half confused smirk. She wasn't used to being waited upon and given their previous interactions he was the last person she expected to receive such treatment from.

Sitting centerpiece on the table was a large fruit sculpture that looked predominately composed of different melons and she wondered if she was suppose to just help herself or wait. Framing the melon art were smaller bowls of nuts, berries, muffins and the cutest tea-set she had ever seen. Apparently breakfast was a _healthy_ event over here. Sparing a moment to mourn the lack of bacon or pancakes she looked discreetly around for cues on whether she was allowed to dig in or not.

To her surprise, a server came over once Sereno had seated himself and poured everyone's tea for them, and once that was tended to there was a flutter of activity where plates began to fill. Satisfied that at least they were allowed to build their own plates she set to work picking out the sweetest looking bits. “So, what part of Earth are you from?” Tamara asked in order to fill the temporary silence that had settled.

“I'm originally from Michigan but I moved to Oregon about eight years ago. Oh, um, that is the Pacific north-west of the United Stated of America,” she answered remembering to be specific in case they weren't overly familiar with her world's geography.

“Yeah, I know exactly where you mean,” the other woman said with a wide grin. “Would you believe that I am also from the U.S? I was born in San Francisco, in 1961.”

Coraline quickly did the math in her head, “Wow, you don't look anywhere near forty-eight! You're practically my mom's age but you only look a few years older than me. But I guess by this place's standers you're still a kid? Sereno here claims to be over three thousand.”

“He is,” Ralston answered, speaking for the first time but looking eager to join the conversation. “He's only got me beat by about two centuries and Marion here is only three decades younger than him.”

“Yeah, that doesn't make me feel out of place at aaaall,” Coraline answered with a roll of her eyes. She was beginning to feel more comfortable. The good food was a contributing factor to this. Also, it helped not being the only American at the table, even if she wasn't sure that Tamara fully counted. “So,” she said turning back to the light-eyed woman, “how did you end up over here, then?”

Tamara's smile softened and took on a dreamy quality as she explained, “The year was 1978 and I had just turned seventeen. I'd recently gotten accepted into college and my new dorm-mates decided that we should celebrate my birthday in style. I'm sure you've heard wild tales about the rampant drug use during the sixties and seventies... well, I can confirm that it isn't as exaggerated as you might think. Anyway, what I first thought was a really groovy trip on LSD ended up in a terrifying out of body experience. I was pretty shaken up over it and swore I would never do anything like that again, but the freaky stuff I had seen while on it kept happening. For weeks I thought I was loosing my mind, I kept having visions and scary realistic dreams and then, I started predicting the future. Little stuff at first but then it got to the point I was about to have myself committed.”

“That's about the time some strange girl started showing up in my dreams,” Ralston interjected, snatching up the story. “And on this side of the veil, if something unexplained happens more than once it automatically warrants looking into. People who are aware of magic tend not to treat things as coincidence.”

“He thought it was a mysterious true love,” Marion added with a patronizing smirk.

“Yes, I'm glad we figured out the truth before I tried to explore _that_ theory,” the blond replied with a shudder and grimace.

Tamara picked the reigns of the conversation back up, “As it turns out, Mamma had been experimenting in various New Age medicine and relaxation techniques shortly before my conception. She met my father through a meditation session that apparently got out of hand. Turns out, my mother and my grandmother were gifted. You might call it ESP, but here they call us Seers.”

“For various reasons, coupling with humans has been outlawed,” Dawn cut in. “Prior to Tamara's incident it has not been an issue in a very long time. The rule is in place mostly for political reasons and to discourage taking advantage of an entire people's ignorance. Back in the old days before access to earth became limited there were a lot of folks from this side of the veil who would cross over just for a bit of fun. Legends about incubus come to mind, but even before that there were issues of supernaturally gifted humans born from such unions and left stranded in a world where magic isn't as prominent.”

“Once we found out what father had done and that our little sister was literally going crazy because of his irresponsibility, we decided to act,” Ralston said grimly.

“One night I hear a barking outside my dorm window. At first I just ignored it because no one else seemed to be waking up and it wasn't really all that strange... at first. But it was persistent. And something told me I should at least look to see if something might be the matter. My room was on the second floor and down below my window, looking directly up at me was the prettiest golden retriever I had ever seen. He was looking _directly_ at my window and immediately I knew something screwy was up. My roommates already thought I was sick, I thought I was sick, and for all I knew I was just having another episode.

But his ears were perked and his tail was wagging and I thought to myself, what the hell, at least the insanity has decided to start manifesting itself in a cuter way. Against the rational part of my brain, I slipped on my night robe and went out to meet this oddly determined canine. As I suspected, it wasn't a normal dog and it insistently implored me to follow it. At this point I decided in for a penny, in for a pound, and let him lead the way. Next thing I know we're in front of a ring of mushrooms and he walks right into the center and disappears. Now... Here I am, it's the middle of the night, I'm in my pajamas in the campus park, and a phantom dog just vanished before my eyes. I can either go back to bed and head to the nearest hospital in the morning or I can test my luck.”

“I see you made the right decision,” Coraline said with a toothy smile. “If only I had been so lucky with my own encounter of magical animals and portals to other worlds.”

“Yes! You did mention this last night,” Althea cut in with enthusiasm. She had long since finished eating and had been listening with half attention to a story she already knew. “Please, do tell.”

Coraline glanced to her left at her friend, it was just as much his story as it was hers. At his curt, indifferent nod she grinned and set in to tell her own tale.

Before she could begin in earnest there was a polite knock from the door and a well dressed butler proceeded a tall new arrival into the room. “The Duke of Thistle Edge,” he announced with a low bow before exiting, leaving the other man to linger in the doorway.

“Forgive me, I do hope I am not intruding,” he said with flourish and a bow. His white-blond hair was streaked with a light lavender and his eyes were mismatched: his right was a sandy tan while his left was a dark green. He looked to be about six foot exactly and his build was thin and willowy. He reminded Coraline of a bird, in a way, though she could not place why. His face was sharp and gave the impression of a well dressed hawk. “Your lady Queen said that I might find you here. May I join you?”

Dawn had risen to her feet and suddenly looked all business. “You may. Please, come and be seated. Was there a matter in particular that needed addressing or is this a social call?” The invitation sounded stiff even to Coraline who had no background in politics.

If the other man picked up on the less than friendly tone he did not show it. With a gracious smile he helped himself into the only remaining empty seat at the foot of the table, opposite of Dawn. “Purely social, your highness. I believe we covered the essentials all last night.” The server from before hurried over and filled the man's cup with tea, refilled a number of the other cups, then retreated once more.

Putting one and one together, Coraline surmised that this must be the fae the others had been talking about the previous night, the one with the power hungry cousin. She supposed that his being here now meant that the castle's Seer must have vouched for him. At that thought she quickly looked back to Tamara and wondered if she was said Seer. If so, she hoped the woman had good judgment. 'Not that I have any room to talk, it took me how long to realize something was extremely off about the Other Mother? But, in my defense, I was only eleven.'

Coraline's internal commentary came to a stop when she noticed that Sereno had subtly and quietly scooted his chair closer to hers. Under the table his knee brushed her own. With one eyebrow raised in question she turned to him but he was staring at the newly arrived male with poorly concealed suspicion. Deciding not to ask while in front of others she filed the strange behavior away to confront him over in private. 'If we get a spare moment before I'm sent home, that is,' she amended. She found that she didn't mind either way. She let her ears drift back to the conversation around the table while she continued to nibble at her breakfast.

“So, Ealhdun, what do you think your king's reaction is going to be upon discovering that you're a traitor?” Ralston asked with a lighter tone than the question deserved.

Laughter lit up mismatched eyes, “Well, he will hardly be surprised, I should think. We've had a very strained truce these last few decades, he knows that I'm only passingly civil to him out of self-preservation. However, it is likely that he either assumes I am dead or he feels that anything I might tell you will be of no consequence to his plans. I have no doubt that he has put out a quiet order for my death should I be found alive. I will, of course, be highly insulted if said command is not matched with a hefty bounty.”

“Worth your weight in gold, huh?” Coraline decided to engage in the conversation rather than remain a spectator. The current events might not involve her, but since she was there and she understood the gist of what was happening she felt like she was able to at least add some commentary, especially since everyone seemed to be treating the whole thing so blasé.

Sharp eyes flashed over to her, as if noticing her presence for the first time. His smile was charming but a little too strained to be comfortable, “I would say I'm worth at least double my weight. After all, I'm not a terribly heavy man to begin with.” He sat his tea cup down and extended his hand, “So sorry, I do not believe I've met your acquaintance. I am Ealhdun, Duke of Thistle Edge. And you are?”

“My name is Coraline, no fancy titles, though. I'm a friend of Sereno's and I'm only visiting,” she answered, quickly throwing down her friend's name like a shield of sorts. She was beginning to understand the strategic positioning of the man at her side. The fae didn't strike her as particularly threatening but the light kiss he placed upon her knuckles sent an uncomfortable tingle through her stomach. She had never thought of herself as exceptionally pretty and had very little practice in dealing with a male's attention.

“A pleasure to meet you. However, I must say, you have atrocious timing.” He chuckled, “One hell of a time for social visits.”

“We are arranging her safe return home for this very evening,” Marion said from down the table.

The fae nodded solemnly, “A good idea. I look for circumstances to escalate within the next few days. I doubt Adderrik will bide his time much longer than that. Perhaps a week more at most.” The sudden shift in his mood seemed more natural, as if the charm he had been exuding earlier had been mostly an act to hide his tension. His attention drifted back to human girl and some of the lightness returned to his tone, “One would not want such a pretty young woman unduly placed in harms way.”

From her seat beside the princess Althea suddenly snorted, “I am going to chose to take offense to the implication that she is the only pretty young woman at the table.”

Beside her, Coraline heard Sereno huff in amusement. “I wouldn't be so quick to underestimate her, either. This is a girl who faced off against a Beldame and won. I should also mention that this happened eight years ago.” Coraline felt extraordinarily pleased by his bragging on her.

The looks of awe directed her way were genuine and appreciated. She suddenly felt a little less like an outsider. “Now, lady Althea, you don't need to have your ego stroked. You know full well that you're beautiful but we all know that you're far from young. Besides, what I actually meant was that she is clearly the only human present. I had assumed that put her at a distinct disadvantage. Though, if what Sereno says is true, there must be quite a tale worth telling!”

“Indeed,” Dawn answered regally. “In fact, she had been just about to share it with us before you interrupted.” Evidently there was some awkward or unpleasant history between the fae and the princess if her tone was any indication.

Once again ignoring the slightly cold undertone of the royal Ealhdun merely helped himself to some fruit before nodding, “Do forgive me, then. Please, continue with your story.”

Sitting her teacup back down– because she tended to speak with her hands and knew better than to have it in spilling distance– Coraline prepared to recount her adventures. Before she could get her first word out, however, without warning Tamara jumped to her feet, leaped across the table and tackled her to the floor. They rolled about three feet away from the others before a deafening explosion roared throughout the room not two seconds later. The table shook violently and the dainty scene of tea and fruit fell to ruin. A chunk of ceiling dislodged and landed right where Coraline had been sitting. Sereno just barely dodged the debris himself, having bounded to his feet at the Seer's sudden action.

Everyone was moving all at once, and another explosion echoed from somewhere further down the castle. At the head of the table Dawn was barking out orders and in a flurry of action, the others were following them. A pair of hands clamped down on her arms and pulled her to her feet quickly and she saw Ealhdun assisting Tamara up off the floor as well. Sereno was holding her in a worried vice grip as he lead her across the room to anther exit. Marion was already there, holding up the heavy, elaborate door that had been knocked off its hinges.

Once they were all in the hall they split up, Marion, Althea and Dawn took the south facing corridor and the others the opposite direction. “We meet in the Arrival Tower in ten minutes!” Dawn yelled over her shoulder before either group left the other's hearing range.

Coraline pried her friend's fingers from her arm and latched onto his shirt so that she could run with him without feeling dragged. Suddenly, taking track in school felt like one of the best investments she had ever made. There were others flooding into the hallway but despite the chaos the five of them managed to keep a good pace. Coraline had no idea where they were going but she trusted Sereno enough to let him lead without question. There would not have been time to question. There was barely time to think. Beside her Tamara kept pace and behind them Ralston and Ealhdun guarded the rear. Another loud explosion rang and then there were sounds of a war cry as the castle's defenses sent out a return volley.

Three turns and a staircase later they were in an armory that was swiftly being emptied by others of the castle's occupants. The guard standing at the entrance looked them over quickly before yelling an order over his shoulder. Coraline found herself with two daggers pressed into her hands and shortly after the others had been armed, they were off again. She was relieved to have some measure of defense but she was not exactly trained for combat. She could only hope that her quick reflexes would be enough to make up for form if it came to having to use the blades. She really hoped that she wouldn't be called to take a life because part of her wasn't sure she would be able to.

They reached the tower where she and Sereno had arrived just the night before and positioned themselves at the ready to wait. Coraline realized quickly that this was a prearranged procedure between Sereno and his companions and that this strategy was either preexisting for emergencies or they had implemented it before. She stood back from the door and away from the window, waiting for further instructions and trying to catch her breath. Frequenting the track for extracurricular fun or not she was well winded and her legs burned.

Beside her, Ealhdun seemed equally disheveled and looked to be trying to regain control of his heart rate. His eyes scanned the faces of those whom he had chosen to throw in his lot with. A small part of Coraline's brain really hoped that this man wasn't a double agent. The other three were raptly watching the door but she was watching the fae.

He apparently felt her gaze and stood a little straighter, looking over to her. He managed a self-depreciating half smirk and shrugged before announcing aloud to the room at large, “Well, I certainly miscalculated the timing.”

Tamara was the first to respond, sounding a bit angry, “Clearly we all did.” Her eyes flashed for a moment in an unnatural shimmer before she announced, “The others are coming. Dawn is caring half of a Transit Stone.”

“What about the queen?” Ralston asked quickly.

The Seer closed her eyes and concentrated. “Morgana and Reynar are in the council room, the tapestry behind the royal chair is drawn back, the hidden passage opened and ready for retreat. Morgana is giving orders and making last minute preparations. Reynar is holding the Transit Stone.”

“There are two?” Coraline asked, confused.

“There were five, but now is not the time to go into it,” Sereno said over his shoulder, eyes still on the door.

The sound of footfalls silenced further discussion. “Is everyone ready?” Althea's clear voice cut into the room as she and the other two rounded the corner. Behind her, Marion and Dawn each had a parcel thrown over their shoulders and swords at their hips. Althea had neither visible weapon or bag but from her shoulders now rested two large and slightly transparent teal, leathery wings.

Coraline didn't have time to properly question this change in the other girl. Once everyone was in the cramped room Dawn was quickly filling them in on what was to happen next. “Morgana has set the guards to hold them off as long as possible, she intends to make the castle hard to claim for distraction purposes. She has already had her plan of action in place and she and Reynar send their best in regards to our half of the mission. We shall be setting out at once for Osterledge to stock up on supplies before heading north into Dunlure.”

“Dunlure? Are you finally going to be reclaiming your own throne?” Ralston asked anxiously.

“Indeed, what better time to take back my land when the occupying force is busy with an invasion? Not to mention, once Morgana reaches her destination Adderrik will be dealing with a war on three fronts instead of only one or two as he anticipated.”

Once again Coraline felt herself slightly thrown off by the names and places she knew nothing about but she latched onto the planning. Strategy she could understand and this at least made sense to her. Briefly she wondered if she would ever be getting home now, but she quickly squished the thought. The best thing she could do for the moment would be to stay alive and stay close to these people. Sereno was her friend and by extension his friends where her allies as well as her best chance of ever going back to Earth. She would follow their lead and hopefully be able to contribute. Having made up her mind to join in on this new cause she also resolved not to be dead weight. She might not be magic but that hadn't stopped her from overcoming impossible odds before.

“I'm sorry, Coraline, that you seem to have found yourself in such a convoluted situation,” Dawn said, suddenly, pulling her out of her musings.

“It's not like there's anything that can be done about it now,” she answered pragmatically. “Just to let you know, I'm willing to do what it takes to get home and I _wont_ be a burden.”

The looks on Marion and Dawn's faces clearly indicated that while she was telling the truth, they did not quite believe her bravado. Sereno was the next to speak, “Since I am the one at fault for her being here I will take full responsibility for her well being.” He let a strained smile lighten his scarred face, “Besides, I was not lying before: she is a rather exceptional human.”

“Good, she's going to need to be if she's coming,” Marion added.

“Well, of course she's coming, we cannot leave her here when the castle is only a temporary gambit and it's fall is inevitable. If anything, we can leave her in Osterledge when we stop for supplies. It isn't likely to fall under attack and the people there are loyal and trustworthy,” Ralston pointed out.

“Oh no, I'm not getting _left_ anywhere! I'm going where he goes,” Coraline announced defensively as she jerked a thumb in Sereno's direction. “Now, are we going to sit here all day or are we going to get out of here?”

Ealhdun chuckled appreciatively at her take charge attitude and nodded his head, “I concur. She's just as much of an unexpected addition to your little resistance group as I am and I've yet to hear you question my role in your party.”

“That's because you can be turned into ransom if worse comes to worse!” Althea pointed out with a cheeky grin. “But I agree, let's move out!” Her wings fluttered restlessly behind her and everyone else nodded or voiced their agreement.

Dawn made no further protests and walked quickly to the other side of the room and pressed her hand to the face of what had appeared to be a random brick. A door opened in the opposite wall leading to a tight and dimly lit staircase. “Let's go. Marion, destroy the other doorway and this one once you're in.”

With that Coraline prepared herself for yet another encounter with adversity. 'At least this time around I have more than just a cat to make sure I survive,' she thought while trying to remain optimistic. The Other Mother and her web had been terrifying yet she had walked away from that with her sanity, surely this adventure wouldn't be much harder.

She felt someone take her hand and she looked up. Sereno squeezed her hand encouragingly before motioning her into the darkened passage. She managed to smile at him and his attempted reassurance. With a determined nod of her head she stepped forward into the unknown.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I didn't bore you with all the descriptions and backstories...  
> Once again I would like to point out that I'm sort of just making up my own rules for this world. This isn't the Faeirie, although it is heavily influenced by it, so if you see something and think 'that's not how that works' well. Here it does. Unless it breaks the continuity of this universe I'mma just do what I want. 
> 
> I'd love to hear from anyone who's enjoying this.


	6. And Miles to Go Before I Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coraline discovers some adventures take a lot more cardio than others.  
> More looks into the magic of Sereno's world.

“ _Life's under no obligation to give us what we expect.” –Margret Mitchell_

 

Her feet were killing her but she refused to say anything and was making an extra effort not to let it show on her face. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from cringing as she pushed on, keeping step with everyone else in their group.

They had been traveling for what felt like at least two hours now and were making less of an effort to hide. The first fifteen minutes after exiting the tower had been extremely stressful and escaping unseen from the grounds had been tricky. Now, the eight of them were traveling east while keeping off of the main roads and walking across an expansive countryside. The untamed grass sometimes reached as high as her chest and would have been funner to plow through if she could have done so at her leisure but instead it made the walking just that more arduous.

Coraline would have better appreciated the beauty of the scenery if it weren't for the blisters forming on her feet. Judging by the pace maintained by everyone else, they were either still in a hurry or they all had otherworldly stamina. Probably both, she decided gloomily. But she wouldn't complain. She had already said she would not be a burden and if they had to slow down to accommodate her it would only be more incentive for them to try and leave her behind somewhere. 'It wouldn't be so bad if maybe they would consider taking a break! I don't see what it would hurt. A few minutes of sitting down couldn't do that much harm...'

It wasn't long after that inner rant that Dawn called for a halt. “I believe there is enough distance between us and the castle, now. We won't reach Osterledge for another three days even if we keep this speed but I do not see a need to arrive half dead from exhaustion. From here out we will have periodic breaks.” She took the bag off of her shoulder and dug into it, from its depths she pulled out two containers. Marion followed her lead and pulled out three others from his own satchel. “Who's thirsty? Sorry we only packed five, we really weren't expecting more than that.”

Coraline took one gratefully and plopped down onto the tall, dry yellowed grass unceremoniously. “Don't drink too fast or too much, else you'll make yourself sick,” Ealhdun advised, sitting down close beside her. The teen gave him a look that clearly read, 'who asked you?' but she relinquished the container with a shrug after one more long, satisfying gulp.

Sereno sat himself down in the narrow space left between them and took the water from her hands to help himself. Dawn passed the fae his own bottle and the rest were divided among the others: the elvish brothers shared one between themselves and Tamara shared with Althea. “I feel really bad about you having to abandon your castle like that,” Coraline commented after a few minutes.

“It is only a building and it can be won back later. Those defending it now will likely retreat tomorrow to spare casualties. Only the foolish focus their energy to defend a fortress or stronghold in times of war. Inevitably they all turn into cages in the end,” Marion said as he passed his sibling the water container.

“Indeed, one has only to look at all the successful wars of attrition throughout the past to see that it's better not to trap yourself. One can only last as long as their supplies. Remember the sack of Rome?” Dawn added as she also took a seat among the loosely forming circle.

“Not personally,” Coraline joked as she rubbed the sore muscles on her calves. Internally she was still bemoaning Dawn's announcement that they would be on the move for several more _days._

Tamara was smiling as she sat down on Coraline's other side and elbowed her arm playfully, “Neither do I.”

“I keep forgetting that you two are only babies,” Ralston put in. His light green eyes teased a smile as he sat down across from his sister.

“As if!” Coraline shot back with an answering grin. “Just because we aren't old and decrepit like some people who shall not be named...”

“I'm sorry, but do any of us look decrepit to you, little girl?” Sereno asked, raising his arched brow in feigned skepticism. The freckled teen refused to answer but instead gave him a firm shove, throwing him off balance momentarily.

A sudden cool wind stirred around them as Althea stood back up and stretched out her wings to their full length. Coraline marveled at the way they caught the light and glittered in the sun. “I'm going to double back a ways to make sure we weren't followed. If I'm not back in half an hour, assume the worst.”

“And if we are to assume the worst would you like to be rescued or shall we carry on?” Ealhdun asked casually as he flashed her a smirk.

“You had better come and find me, of course!” The woman shot back, sticking out her tongue. She crouched down without another word and then sprang into the air like a rocket, the back lash of wind gave the travelers another pleasant breeze to cool them and then she was off.

“So, are her wings retractable or am I just really unobservant?” Coraline asked as she watched the dark silhouette disappear from sight into the clouds over head.

“Althea is an air naiad, her wings are retractable,” Marion answered with a shrug. He had finally sat down as well and had decided to use his brother as a back rest.

“So what are the rest of you? I never got the chance to ask before.” She didn't want to sit in silence the same way they had traveled in it.

“Well, my brother and I are elves, as you may have noticed, which makes our sister half-elvish. The good duke over here is fae, as was mentioned before. Sereno is a dryad, and our fair princess is a mage.” Ralston answered for her, helpfully.

“So, Morgana isn't your mother?” The queen had been unmistakably elvish. “I remember there being mentioned something about you taking back your own throne... But you're also their princess?” She was slowly starting to piece the scope of their world together. She would have to question Sereno about being a dryad later– she had always assumed they were _female_ nature spirits.

“She is my adopted mother, my own parents were slain when my kingdom was invaded. Morgana and my parents had been allies but she was fighting her own war at the time and was unable to lend reinforcements. Once the troops she could spare eventually arrived the king was dead and my mother had fled with me to her try and reach Helianth for sanctuary. Unfortunately, I and two of our guards were the only ones who made it. I was very young at the time, I can hardly remember. Morgana is the only mother I have ever really known.”

That was more tragic that Coraline had been expecting. She cringed in sympathy and offered her an apology. The princess merely waved it off with a shake of her head. “How come you haven't tried to take this place back before now?”

The redhead shrugged, “A myriad of reasons. By the time I was old enough to have properly cared to, it was not a strategically frugal thing to do. Aside from the initial bloodshed to take it, Adderrik isn't an incompetent leader and my people have not been suffering under his reign or else I _would_ have struck sooner. We have been biding our time.”

“Wait, this Adderrik guy conquered your kingdom? What is he, this world's version of Napoleon?”

“Actually,” Sereno interjected, “that isn't a bad comparison.”

“Except, I rather liked Napoleon more,” Ralston stated with a half smile. “For all his faults he was an interesting fellow, that one.”

“Okay, it's really freaky the way you guys keep casually mentioning historical events and people as if it was only yesterday,” Coraline observed.

“One gets used to it,” Tamara answered with a small smile. Her eyes flashed the unusual shimmer that Coraline had noticed earlier and then she said, “Althea is on her way back.”

“So, does that just happen at random? You seemed to be able to control it at one point. Your eyes, er, visions,” Coraline asked the Seer.

“If I really focus and have a set goal I can control it up to a point, but yes, mostly it's pretty arbitrary.” The other woman pushed her dark curls behind her ears, pulling her headscarf down and using it to tie her hair back completely. “I think it's because I'm not wholly human but there's no way to know if my mixed background has anything to do with it.”

“Or, alternatively, it is likely a product of your youth and lack of formal training,” Marion commented. “You only discovered your powers a few short decades ago. Those sorts of talents take time to hone.”

“That sounds kind of annoying,” Coraline offered sympathetically. “But, on the other hand, it's got to be pretty useful. By the way! Thanks for tackling me, earlier. Might have bruised a rib but that's much better than a rock crushing me.”

Tamara smiled wide, “You're welcome.”

“You would have made a great linebacker, you know,” Coraline said with a wink. The other woman laughed heartily at the idea.

Before anyone of the others could ask what a linebacker was there came another strong gust of wind, signaling Althea's return. “The trail is clear! Not a soul in sight.”

“That was rather fast,” Ealhdun pointed out doubtfully. “How far out did you check?”

“I _am_ fast,” the naiad replied proudly. “I flew about two leagues back and anything beyond that doesn't have a chance of gaining on us anytime soon. Especially if we continue on like we have been.” Without warning she began contorting her upper body and in a few jerky movements that looked more like a miniature seizure, her teal wings were retracted.

Coraline paled a little and she couldn't help scrunching her face up. 'Gross, that looked painful,' she thought privately– she figured saying such out loud would be rude. She was about to ask why Althea didn't just leave her wings out all the time, or at least the majority of the time, when said girl flopped down onto the grass in an appreciative heap. Coraline conceded that lying down with them might be uncomfortable and decided to simply let the question drop.

“So, your highness, what exactly is the plan from here on out?” Ealhdun asked after few minutes. The fae crossed his legs at his ankles and casually leaned back on his hands, “I don't particularly fancy charging into anything blindly.”

 

oOoOoOo

 

'Must not gripe, must not gripe, must not gripe,' it had been her inner mantra for half an hour or more now. The break they had taken earlier that morning had not been nearly long enough, in Coraline's humble opinion. The afternoon sun beating down on their heads wasn't any help at all, either. October was far cooler in Oregon than it was here. Was this place even in autumn? It felt more like summer right about then.

A part of her had been the tiniest bit thrilled by the action interrupting breakfast. The bits of her brain that had not been occupied with worrying about not dying were perversely excited about the prospect of adventure. That naivety had died a painful death after the first hour of walking. She was fairly certain adventuring was suppose to be more interesting than this. 'All the action novels tend to casually gloss over this aspect of grand quests,' she thought miserably. 'A days travel is skipped with a neat page break or chapter transition. They fail to mention the mind-numbing walking. It wouldn't be bad at all if we were off to some place in the comfort of a car. With a radio!'

In her distraction she bumped into Sereno's back as he stopped in front of her. “Are you okay?” He asked with mild concern.

“As well as can be expected, I think,” she answered with a tired shrug.

The dryad frowned at her answer then, noting the position of the sun, said, “Dawn, it's been an hour and a half since our last stop. I think we should call another halt and wait out the heat of the afternoon.”

They were passing through another grassy field, similar to the one they had crossed not long ago. Or maybe it was the same one and it just never ended, Coraline couldn't be sure. There was no shade in sight but there seemed to be a treeline in the far distance. Unless she was just imagining it in her fatigue. Once she registered what Sereno was saying she perked up a bit. A break, a considerably longer break than the last one, sounded absolutely heavenly. She looked up at her friend in obvious gratitude, silently conveying her thanks with her eyes.

The mage princess had barely finished voicing her agreement before Coraline was flopping down into the long grass with a relieved sigh. A shadow appeared over head and she briefly opened her eyes again to see who was the cause. “Not tired, are you?” Ralston asked playfully.

“Of course not, just give the word and I'll run a marathon next,” she answered sarcastically. It wasn't the best comeback but building witty remarks took more energy than she was willing to give. The others seemed to have found it funny enough because there were several answering chuckles. She gave herself a mental pat on the back for that at least. 'We'll know to really worry if I ever lose the ability to use sarcasm,' she decided. “You guys didn't happen to pack some food, did you? I don't mean to be a drag but I'm seriously starving over here.”

“It _is_ near lunch time and unfortunately I don't think any of us got a well and filling breakfast this morning,” she heard Ealhdun say. Good, if someone else agreed with her then they might actually eat.

“We packed only the basics: water, ropes, tarps, blankets, a spade, money and weapons. At least five out of the eight of us know how to hunt, food wasn't a priority,” Marion answered.

“Oh I don't know, food seems like a pretty basic thing to me, given the fact that we're walking through endless fields and not a lush forest primed with game,” Coraline voiced from the ground. She had meant to only think the criticism but apparently low energy and an empty stomach removed the filter between her brain and her mouth. Luckily, her commentary only earned more laughs rather than reproach. 'Appreciation for sass. There's still hope left in the world.'

“Well, there is a forest about a quarter of a league that way,” Althea pointed to the left.

“How do you know? Crazy good vision isn't another part of your powers, is it?” Coraline questioned innocently; she still hadn't bothered to get up.

“I have spent _years_ in this country– in the air and on the ground– I know the geography well. I spent a large portion of my youth in the wilderness, you know,” the naiad answered confidently. “Alright, who has the lightest alternate form? I'm not going by myself and I can't feasibly carry more than ten kilograms when flying.” Following that Coraline heard the strange cracking and leathery sounds that had accompanied the retracting her wings from earlier. Suddenly she was glad that her eyes closed. Maybe Althea's wings looked more majestic coming out than going in but either way she felt it was something she could live without.

“Sereno is a cat,” Ralston was the first to offer. “I _would_ volunteer but a retriever is considerably heavier.”

“Oh! That's right! You _are_ a dog,” Althea interjected before Sereno could object or agree to go with her. “I could use your nose. Just run, it isn't _that_ far and besides canines have more endurance.”

“Should have kept your mouth shut,” Tamara teased. “Now you're going to have to go.”

“Well,” the elf protested, “I don't _have_ to...” at the collective looks directed his way he shrugged. “But I will, I suppose.”

Coraline did sit up now, she was curious about the transformation between human looking forms and animal ones. Even if it ended up being gross, this was something she had to see. She watched as Dawn set aside her shoulder bag and walked over to Ralston. The princess's light brown eyes lightened to gold with magic and around the two figures a swirl of bright light sprung into existence. It only lasted a second and very little was visible against the golden brilliance of the mage's spell work but the end result was a perky large dog in the clearing with them.

Coraline was fairly sure that she had never seen a green eyed dog before. She had to admit, Ralston made a very cute pooch. “Huh. That's pretty cool,” she said, impressed. The blond canine bounded over to her, clearly showing off, and tail wagging. “Pfft, dork,” she told him but obligingly scratched behind his ears. Marion rolled his eyes as he picked discarded clothes up off the ground for his brother.

“Alright! Come on, then, time is wasting,” Althea declared. “We'll try and catch a couple of rabbits at least. At worst prepare for squirrel.”

Coraline's stomach clinched at the idea of killing poor little forest creatures, but she _was_ hungry and it wasn't like there were very many alternatives. She would just have to work on not thinking about it. Hopefully she would get lucky and they would clean whatever they caught before they brought it back. If it didn't look like Thumper she would probably be alright.

A water container was suddenly thrust under her nose, breaking her out of her thoughts. “Thanks,” she said gratefully as she accepted it.

“Not a problem,” Ealhdun replied. Coraline looked up in slight surprise, she had been expecting Sereno. Said dryad was now making his way over to them. In a way, she found it very cute how he insistently tried to ward the fae away from her –he could work on his subtly, though. By this point she had lost most all of her reservations concerning the duke. He was a good conversationalist, she had found, and so far he hadn't done anything remotely shady.

“Should we start a fire?” She asked the group at large. “I mean, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of kindling, but surely we aren't going to eat lunch raw.”

“We'll have to conjure one once they get back,” Marion told her. “A magic fire takes a lot of energy to maintain for long periods but for something as simple as cooking lunch, there won't be an issue.” He pulled the last water container from his bag and joined everyone else in sitting down.

“Does everyone here have an animal form that they can turn into?” Coraline asked after she had swallowed several mouthfuls of refreshing water.

“Those who have access to and frequently visit earth do, for sure. Others may but it isn't as common a practice as you might think,” Tamara answered her.

“What about you?”

“Well, I've not ever tried, to be honest. Whenever I go back to earth I do so as I am.” The other woman gestured up and down her figure, “It's why I look like one of the oldest people here when I'm really the youngest– aside from you.”

“Oh you do _not_ look old! Mid to late twenties at most!” Coraline was quick to protest. “I still don't quite understand the concept behind that, though. Do you people age exceptionally faster on earth or is it just, like, insurance or something?”

“Insurance. For some, aging would progress exactly as it does for humans if we didn't take measures. For others, longevity is a born trait but though Earth time would have more of an impact, it likely wouldn't matter. Still, although ten years here is next to nothing, if something where to happen and one of us got stuck on earth for that amount or longer there would be a noticeable difference. That wouldn't mean much on its own but were it to happen more than a few times it would prove problematic,” Dawn explained. “It has nothing to do with vanity and everything with staying in peek physical condition.”

“But eternal youth isn't a bad trade-off,” Ealhdun pointed out with a sarcastic chuckle and wink. “You don't have to try so hard to seem completely professional about it.”

“Do _you_ have an animal form?” Coraline asked the fae.

“I haven't been to earth in countless years,” he admitted to her with a shrug, “and the very few times I did visit I did so on two legs.” He raised an eyebrow in Dawn's direction, looking almost chastising and added, “It hardly matters anymore, the paths to earth are highly policed and most do not have the political favor to request visits. Even were that not the case and I decided to cross the veil, I am one like Dawn mentioned who's race offers far more years of youth than humans. I wouldn't have a need to shift my skin.”

Coraline was quiet for a moment after that as she digested everything she had been told. Then, for fun, “So that's a 'no', huh? What do you think you would be if you did have one?”

A mischievous light flashed across Dawn's face and something like retribution lit her eyes. She suddenly sprang to her feet. “We could always find out!”

“I would rather pass,” Ealhdun answered with noticeable distrust.

“Oh come on, we're going to be here for a while, we need _some_ form of entertainment,” the princess said as she advanced on him.

Tan and green eyes widened as he realized she was not going to let the matter drop. He jumped up as well and backed away from her, “Come now, there's no reason to needlessly waste your energy.”

“Nonsense, this is a spell I know well and it doesn't cost me a thing at all to cast, anymore. I've done it so often it's practically second nature.” The smile on the woman's face was positively predatory.

“Knowing you, madame, you'll turn me into a toad and leave me as such for spite!” Ealhdun accused her, looking increasingly more worried.

“Don't be silly, that's now how this magic works. I _could_ do the toad thing but _this_ spell brings out your inner qualities and manifests them into the most fitting animal of those characteristics. If you turn into a toad, it will be no one's fault but your own!”

The duke threw his arms out imploringly, “If this is for the time I proposed a union of our kingdoms through marriage I am deeply sorry!”

Coraline watched the unfolding drama with open amusement and briefly wondered why no one was stepping in on Ealhdun's behalf. She might have done so herself but she was more curious to see what animal he would become. If she were to guess, she was leaning towards some sort of raptor: a hawk or an eagle, perhaps.

Light brown eyes flashed gold once more and the princess lunged, literally tackling the man to the ground. There was another bright flash of light and then Dawn was rolling away from her victim. A very ruffled and indignant looking red fox was picking himself up off the ground in the aftermath and shrugging out of a pile of clothes now too big for him.

Coraline couldn't help the coo that escaped her lips, “Aw, how cute!” The newly christened canine's ears perked up at her compliment and he sat up a little straighter.

“I don't know about _that_ ,” Sereno commented cheekily. “Foxes are known for being sneaky and no good in most cultures.”

“I take offense to that,” Ealhdun's voice said from the furry new body. It sounded a little rougher, as if his vocal cords were not yet used to the action of speech. “After all, in some other cultures they are seen as wise and mysterious animals.” His bushy tail flicked back and forth as he turned his attention to his assailant. “You've had your fun. Now, turn me back, please.”

Dawn laughed impishly and complied immediately. The man barely had time to register his nudity. With a startled grunt he quickly grabbed up his clothes to cover himself. Coraline's hands flew to her face in secondhand embarrassment but no one else seemed to think anything of it. Without comment Ealhdun walked a little ways away from the group to get dressed again.

Dawn turned to Tamara and Coraline, “I've never tried this spell on a human but it has a pretty general application and has been done on all sorts of races by this point. Would you like to try and see what you would be?”

“Would there be any negative side-effects or any reason it wouldn't work on a human?” Coraline asked dubiously but nonetheless intrigued at the idea. It seemed harmless enough, and now she was curious to see what she would end up as. “You'd give me more warning, right? To keep my modestly and all that? If it'd even work. I don't really feel comfortable popping back up in my birthday suit.”

Tamara's eyes shimmered and then she smiled, “It will work.” Then she giggled, “Of course she will. As you may have guessed, her and E over there have a bit of a history between them. Plus, I think she takes some of her dislike for his cousin out on him. She was only having some fun at his expense.” Her smile grew wider as she added, “I rather like what my alternate is.”

“Well it takes some of the fun out of it if you get to know what you will be before hand,” Sereno commented to the Seer.

She shrugged, “It will be no less of a surprise for you if I know.”

“Okay! I'm game, let's do this,” Coraline said brightly. Her earlier fatigue was entirely forgotten by this point. “Who goes first?”

“I will,” Tamara answered as she stood up for her friend. Dawn's smile was much warmer as she reached her hand out and once again her eyes flashed gold. After the light faded they were all looking at an elegant doe standing where the Seer had been. The deer looked herself over as best it could manage, “Far out!” She laughed and pranced in place a little, “This is a _really_ unique sensation.”

Marion chuckled softly and looked the doe over fondly, “It certainly fits, I think.”

“The almost white eyes are a little unsettling on a deer, though,” Coraline said. “But in a cool way,” she added quickly so it wouldn't be misconstrued as an insult.

The doe laughed then leaned down to retrieve her dirty blue dress off the ground before trotting off further afield with Dawn following. Everyone politely averted their eyes until both women came back. When they returned Coraline jumped to her feet. “Alright! My turn!” She took her shoes off preemptively and kicked them to the side.

Sereno leaned forward from where he was sitting and watched in ill-concealed anticipation. He was as curious as Coraline herself to see what she would end up. Dawn smiled at the younger girl's eagerness, “Ready?”

The light didn't seem near as bright within the source than she would have expected. Dawn's touch on her forehead was light and her fingers were warm. The heat from the woman's hand bled outwards and down until Coraline was wrapped in a fuzzy cocoon of warmth and numbness. She blinked and suddenly Dawn was towering above her where just a moment ago they had been eye to eye. “Well what do you know,” the princess was saying but it sounded a lot louder than she would have expected. It made her new ears twitch.

Wasting no time Coraline looked down to see dainty white paws and long, silky fur. “A cat?” She asked, feeling both pleased and relieved. At least she was something cute. Not as cool as if she had ended up as a dragon but at least she wasn't something lame like a hamster or a pigeon. Maneuvering her new body came intuitively and she pulled her tail in front of her to examine it. This new addition was exceptionally fluffy and ringed with alternating light brown and white fur.

“You look positively adorable,” Sereno commented and if she didn't know any better she would say that he sounded a little proud.

“Why thank you,” she answered with a purr. Purring felt weird, she noted. “But I'm _always_ adorable.” Everyone laughed at that and she felt the vibrations in her throat increase at their appreciation of her humor. “Alright, I think I would like to have my thumbs back now.”

Dawn nodded and bent down to pick up her discarded dress for her. The once lovely cream fabric was by now completely covered in dirt. She followed the redhead away from their small group and prepared to change back into a human. 'This has been an interesting experience,' she thought quietly. 'Definitely another awesome story for Wybie.' Maybe there were a few more upsides to her current predicament than she had first realized.

The princess undid her spell and then suddenly gasped. “What?” Coraline asked quickly, worried that something had gone wrong.

“Oh, it's nothing horrible,” she assured swiftly “It's just that your hair is different now. But then, you did say that the purple was only dye. It seems my magic has reverted your appearance to it's true form,” the mage explained.

The human pouted and pulled a few strands in front of her face. Well, it could have been worse. “At least now I don't have to worry about my roots showing any time soon,” she said, trying to stay on the positive side. She was going to miss her wild color, though. She quickly got dressed again, having realized how awkward it was to be standing naked in the middle of a field – exceptionally tall grass to hide the more important bits notwithstanding.

When she returned to the others Sereno was the first to notice the difference. “Aw, your purple is gone it's been a long time since I've seen your natural hair. I suppose it will be interesting having you as a brunette again.” When she sat down near him he ran his fingers through the newly changed strands, working out a few tangles as he did so. “It looks nice,” he added.

“Thanks,” she replied as she stretched her newly restored limbs. Looking down she debated on putting her slippers back on and decided against it. 'And that's another thing! This trip wouldn't be half as bad if I had a decent pair of shoes! I'm surprised my feet aren't bleeding, honestly,'

“Food is on it's way,” Tamara announced without warning.

Quickly brightening, Coraline looked back up. “Do you know what we're having?”

Tamara's laugh was deeply amused as she answered, “Looks like those two have outdone themselves. We're having boar this afternoon.”

Marion looked skeptical, “Boar? They haven't even been gone an hour! You can't tell me they just happened upon one.”

“Rather than fuss about their luck you should be happy that at least we know there will be plenty of meat to go around,” Ealhdun replied with a shrug.

Marion acknowledged the point and got to his feet. “Do you know if its ready to cook or needs to be cleaned?” He asked his half-sister while he bushed the grass and dirt off the seat of his pants.

“She's bringing it back whole,” Tamara answered, with a slight cringe of her nose.

“Then I'll go meet them and help prepare it rather than bloody our camp,” he said and walked off to track down his brother and the naiad.

 

oOoOoOo

 

The trees that she had thought she could make out earlier that day were clearly within sight now and were getting closer by the minute. The sky overhead was turning a pretty pink and red as the sun began to sink over the horizon. According to Althea, they were making great time. According to her feet, she couldn't care less. If they didn't stop for the evening soon Coraline was of half a mind to ask Sereno to carry her on his back.

“Will we be setting up a camp for the night?” She asked. Maybe she could use subtly to win them another break. “I don't know if you guys can see in the dark but I know I sure can't.”

“We shall make camp once we reach the treeline,” Dawn answered, looking over her shoulder at the young woman who tailed at the end of their party. “We want to have a proper fire this evening and the tarps can be pitched as tents against the trees. Only a little longer and then we can rest.”

'That will have to do,' Coraline conceded. From the looks of it, she would be able to peel the awful excuse for footwear off again and unwind sometime in the next few minutes. Every muscle she owned ached at this point, and either the others didn't feel the same or they were experts of hiding their discomfort. She shuddered to think of how she might feel at the moment if she were any less in shape. If she kept this up, by the time she got back home she'd be putting the entire track team to shame with her endurance. It was a pleasant thought and helped to distract her from the throbbing of fatigue.

It was another ten minutes or more before they finally came to a stop. By the time camp was pitched and Marion had lit a fire, Coraline could hardly hold her eyes open. The evening had gotten noticeably colder and the flimsy dress, long soaked with sweat, was doing her no favors. Over all she just felt like crap and wanted to go to sleep and forget it all. Maybe in the morning things would be better.

A hand on her shoulder had her gritting her teeth and opening her eyes. 'Great, add sunburn to my list of complaints,' she thought tiredly. Sereno was passing her some water. When she had asked earlier how they still even _had_ water left she had been told that the containers had been enchanted to be self-replenishing. Now, if only her energy reserves could do the same. She took the container and smiled up at him in silent thanks. He ruffled her hair in answer before walking back over to Marion who was pulling the blankets from the supply bags.

“How are you holding up?” He whispered quietly into her ear once he returned. He threw a warm cover over her shoulders solicitously. She shrugged and gave a nonverbal grunt. Her friend chuckled at her response. “You're forging on commendably,” he assured her, still keeping his voice low. “The others are impressed.” He gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head, “ _I'm_ impressed, although I never doubted you. Unfortunately, this is only day one of the first half of our journey.” She looked at him and raised an eyebrow so he continued. “I don't want you to push yourself any more than necessary. There would be no shame in staying behind in Osterledge once we get there.”

For the briefest of moments she considered the offer. If she felt like this on only day one could she _really_ manage another long journey afterward? Beyond that, she wasn't a warrior, did she really belong gallivanting off on some mission to reclaim a kingdom? The answer, of course, was no. But she was too stubborn to accept that. Shaking her head she met her friend's eyes again, “I'm seeing this through. I said I was coming and that's that.” She forced a smile. “Besides, maybe all this walking will toughen me up before long.”

He smiled softly at her resolve. Coraline felt a small flutter in her stomach as she looked at him in the settling dusk. His olive tanned skin glowed dark gold in the firelight and his blue eyes looked almost black. She suddenly felt uncomfortably aware of how attractive she thought he was and how utterly dirty and gross she felt in comparison. 'I bet _I_ don't look half as nice after a hard day's travel. How he manages to just look roguishly disheveled is beyond me,' she mused self-consciously.

He ruffled her hair again before sitting back on his elbows to gaze into the fire. “There will be time enough to change your mind if you need to,” he assured. “But I wont press you further. You know your limits better than I do.”

“Thanks,” she answered quietly as she hoped she was making the right choice. With a sigh she leaned over and used his shoulder as a pillow, assuming correctly that he wouldn't begrudge the contact. The soft murmur of conversation from the nearby campfire, the sound of wind through leaves and the warmth of the blanket coupled with the warmth of the body beside her was enough to send her to sleep in minutes.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those curious, Coraline's cat form is a Turkish Van since they're often described as being more athletic than some other breeds. They're also known for liking water! Plus, they're just really cute.


	7. Perseverance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small look into what other people are doing and a moment of reflection for the group.

“ _It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required.” -Winston Churchill_

 

Morgana shifted the pack she carried to her other shoulder and readjusted the hilt of her blade that was jostled in the process. By her side, Reynar had his weapon ready: a long handled ax that he lazily hefted over one broad shoulder. The raven-haired elf queen studied her loyal body-guard and adviser from the corner of her black eyes as they traveled in silence. His long auburn hair was tied in a top knot and blew behind him like a banner in the persistent wind they walked against. His wine red eyes stared ahead of them, alert for danger. Under normal circumstances, one might think it unwise for a monarch to travel with only one escort while her lands were under siege, but both travelers had been in this role before. The two elves were as powerful as they were old and for now their game was stealth.

“Where would you like to stop first?” Reynar asked, addressing his queen with the informality of a long time friend.

“We'll be coming upon the West Creek outpost in a day's journey if we stay on this road. It is as good a place as any to start spreading the word and calling up the reserves,” the woman answered with a shrug. “It would've been nice if Adderrik would have waited a little while longer before engaging in this nonsense.” She sounded more annoyed than concerned. “If captain Fane is able to follow my orders to the letter, he'll be at West Creek in two days time and we can meet him there.”

The queen had ordered the castle be held for three days to assure all civilians evacuated, on the third day a full retreat would be issued, leaving the building empty– they were to do so in a way to look as if it was an unwillingly retreat. Afterward the soldiers were to fan out across the roads connecting to the stronghold and use whatever guerrilla tactics necessary to keep the invading force from leaving the ground they had 'won'. Even should the castle was burned down in the process it was of little consequence to her as long as none of her people were inside and her end goals were met.

“You have known this conflict was coming for a long time, now. Two more weeks, two hundred more years, it would have all been the same,” the taller elf commented with a shrug. “For your reign to no longer come into question this power play was inevitable.”

“Indeed. It is frustrating, though.” The queen sighed, “If I did not have such a lofty purpose I would have stepped down long ago. I'm not sure why I continue to defend a realm that I have no legitimate ties to any longer.” The truth was, their side of the veil had been falling into a stagnation for a long while. Adderrik was not wrong for wanting to bring in new resources and new blood into his kingdom, but Morgana was not going to let him do it at the price that was set.

“Because the resulting chaos would not be worth the headache?” Reynar offered with a sardonic grin.

“That must be it. Not the countless lives being shielded or anything so noble, just trying to cut down on the paperwork that multidimensional warfare would result in,” Morgana answered with a straight face.

“You are a very practical woman, in that regard,” he answered with an indulgent grin.

“I do try.” After a few minutes of companionable silence, Morgana asked, “Do you really think that Ealhdun will be any better suited to the throne than his cousin? Adderrik has an estranged son living in Dunlure, if Dawn does not end up killing him when she retakes it. What are your thoughts on his claim verses that of our good Duke?”

“Hnn, Adderrik's son would have more of a claim, but if I recall, he is a timid boy and not well suited to rule. If you backed him it might be seen as instituting your own puppet monarch and not to mention you would then have to either pay-off or eliminate Ealhdun if he was still of a mind to take the crown,” her guard advised. “From what we know of the Duke of Thistle Edge, if Tamara was correct in her reading, he is shrewd as well as cooperative to our own cause and therefore the better candidate.”

Morgana nodded in agreement, a far away look in her black eyes. “Mhm. Yes, just wanted a second opinion.”

“There will be time enough for corrective action, should it be needed. After this particular hurdle is crossed the remainder of the race will be an easy run.”

“No, I wouldn't call any aspect of it easy,” the queen protested mildly. “Speaking of, the next settlement or farm we come across I believe we shall be purchasing some horses.”

“ _Easier_ , then,” Reynar answered with a shrug of acknowledgment. “And I agree, horses would be nice. It's a shame we weren't able to stop by the stables before we left the castle grounds.”

“For the next war we shall definitely have to write that into the planning.”

The auburn haired elf laughed heartily, “Indeed, your majesty. It was a terrible oversight and will henceforth not be repeated.”

 

oOoOoOo

 

Wybie cracked the package of warmers to activation and stuffed the heating pouches under each glove before pulling his bed cover more tightly around his shoulders. He had successfully sneaked back into his house, gathered a few supplies to wait out the night, and escaped again without waking his grandmother. As luck would have it, not only had he still had some left over pocket warmers, and not one but _two_ cans of energy drink, he also found that his Gameboy was fully charged.

Now that he was toasty and had made himself comfortable up at the top of the well's hill, the anxiety that had been gripping his stomach began to loosen. Coraline was likely perfectly fine, wherever she and the cat had gone. He was going to wait patiently for her to come back –because of course she would– and then he would ply her for information about her unexpected trip. As nice as his impromptu campsite was now, he really hoped he wouldn't have to spend the _whole_ night out here. More than that, though, it would mean that he would have to make the trip to Spink and Forcible to ask for help. The thought was not very appealing.

“Who knows if they'll even be able to help,” he muttered. He shook his head at his pessimism. “No, better not start thinking like that.” Of course they would be able to help, even if he had no idea how. It wasn't like either lady had ever shown signs of knowing real magic, but he found himself low on options.

Scarier than not knowing how to get Coraline back was the thought of having to tell her parents that she was missing in the first place. That brought the anxiety back in full force. He pulled his eyes away from the glowing screen of his game and looked longingly at the fairy circle, “Come on, Jonesy, I don't think I'll be able to face your family! You have to come back soon, no excuses.” He didn't know how the portal worked, maybe someone over there could hear him and pass along the message.

Much as he expected, there was no answer. With a sigh he pulled his blanket completely over his head and hunkered down to wait out the dawn if he had to. He turned his attention back to the _Tetris_ blocks paused on the glowing screen. The game offered little in the way of distraction, but it was better than nothing.

 

oOoOoOo

 

“Is she asleep?” Althea asked softly, looking over to the two figures on the outskirts of the fire's ring of light.

“She is,” Sereno answered with a quiet rumble. Careful not to wake her back up– though he doubted any force on earth could accomplish that feat– he re-positioned himself and the girl, bringing her head down to rest on his lap and scooting over a bit so that she would be more comfortable. Hopefully the new arrangement would lessen the chance of her waking with a cramp in her neck. “I believe she's down for the night.”

“I'll make her some ointment for her feet in the morning,” Dawn offered as she settled further down to get comfortable herself. “Honestly, I did not think she would keep up the way she has, at least, not without complaining.”

“Oh, don't worry, she's been complaining this whole time, she was just polite enough not to voice it,” Ealhdun said with a chuckle.

“Are you a mind reader now?” Ralston asked the fae with mock skepticism.

“Not at all, but anyone who paid the girl even the least bit of attention today could see it in her features. As the evening wore on, it was most prominent in the slump of her shoulders,” the man responded primly.

“I don't know that I appreciate you observing her so closely,” Sereno stated bluntly. “Of course the trip is being unkind to her, she is unused to these conditions and on top of that she is only human. In this realm it is –as you so delicately put it this morning– something of a disadvantage. However, she is a stubborn girl and is determined to carry on.”

“Careful,” the fae warned with a teasing lilt to his words. “One might misinterpret your defense as possessiveness.”

“To take anything else away from my words would be to miss the point entirely. Now that she isn't awake to worry about such things I shall tell you plainly: you are to keep your influence off of her. She is not some young maiden to be seduced. I know that your kind has favored spiriting away human brides in the past and I do not intend for her to end up as a prize in some fae court.”

Ealhdun barked out a laugh but quickly silenced himself with a hand to his mouth. Once he was able to catch his breath he shook his head and held out his hands in submission. “I am happy to inform you that your fears are entirely unfounded. Yes, so I have been sending subtle messages through my aura but it was only to put her at ease in my company. Did you know she distrusted me greatly at the outset of this little venture? I believe she thinks I might be a double-agent.”

“For your sake you had better not be,” Dawn interrupted him sharply.

“Of course not, don't be ridiculous,” he told her with a gleam in his eye. “I have told you my goals and you know such ambition would see me beheaded with any other approach. In all honesty, I'm not even sure this venture won't end in my death but it's a chance I feel I should take.” His mismatched eyes flitted back to Sereno, “As I was saying, I do have some gift with Empathy and I felt the distrust she had towards me. I only sought to remove it. Unfortunately, it seems for my effort your distrust in me has tripled.”

“You cannot blame me for caution,” he shot back, although his tone had gentled considerably. It seemed that he was inclined to believe the fae and the metaphorical hackles that would have been raised were smoothing back down.

Sensing the shift in mood, Ealhdun's smile brightened, “No, you're quite right. Though, I do hope to prove myself by the end.” His attention switched to the sleeping girl and his eyes gentled, “If we are to continue speaking frankly, may I ask if she knows that you are in love with her?”

Sereno's eyes widened and he looked a bit dumbfounded, “I do love her but I am not _in love_ with her. I've basically watched her grow up, there would be no way to avoid holding affection for her.” That admission alone was already a dangerous one. 'So much for not getting too attached,' he chided himself irritably.

“Ah, so it's an age thing?” Tamara asked, speaking up from around the other side of the fire.

“Well, that would be one factor among many, but yes.” The dryad's expression had shifted into one of slight uncertainty. He looked down to the young woman using him as a pillow and pushed her newly darkened hair out of her face. It wouldn't be fair to either of them for him to fall in love now. The last mortal he had held such feelings for had nearly destroyed him. It had been over a thousand years ago but it still hurt sometimes. He had promised his heart never to do it again. Cassandra had refused to leave her world to be with him and he knew with near certainty that Coraline would likely make the same choice. “She is human,” he said at last.

The others in his company seemed to understand the depth of his statement and a quiet descended on the camp. For a long while only the pop and crackle of the fire kept the night from being completely silent. As the stars continued to multiply above them one by one the motley travelers began to stretch out and bed down. It was quickly agreed that since there were so many bodies the shifts for guard duty would be shortened. Marion agreed to take first watch.

As Sereno rearranged himself and the blanket that covered his friend he considered the complicated emotions threatening to stir in his chest. Emotions that centered precariously close to the young woman he now cradled in the circle of his arm. It was a possessive position, he could acknowledge, but it was also a protective one... and also the best way to share her blanket. 'I'm far too old for these sorts of mistakes,' he reminded himself silently. For her sake more than his own he vowed then and there that he would not act on his growing affection. He would spare her feelings. After all, given all that she had fought in the past in order to return to her family and friends, he could not, in good conscience, ask her to give them up now.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really would love to hear from you guys :)


	8. Fight and Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains mild violence, blood, and mentions of death/ the act of killing.

“ _I feel like no-one ever told the truth to me_

_About the price of growing up and what a struggle it would be...” –Queen_

 

“Our informant tells us that the queen and her loyal lapdog escaped heading west. However, it seems the princess and a little rag-tag team are heading north. They will be passing through Grünfläche Wald. That forest can be an easy place to encounter ill luck.”

“They have a Seer among them, I'm told.”

“Luckily, she is young and untrained. Her gift tends to only manifest in reflex. If we strike swiftly and take her first the others can be dealt with at leisure without having to worry about her warning them.”

“See to it, then. But, bring the Seer back to me. I want her alive. Raw and untamed talent is still talent, after all. She might prove useful to us.”

 

oOoOoOo

 

Coraline fought for sleep in spite of the hand gently but persistently shaking her shoulder. Just a few more minutes couldn't possibly hurt, why couldn't they give her that? Of all the ways to wake up, lying on her side in damp, dewy grass with aches in her legs and feet and neck –everywhere– was an experience she didn't care to repeat anytime soon. “A'right, a'right, 'm up,” she fussed, batting away the hand. Her brain might not have switched on completely just yet but she complied and sat up, pulling the cover with her and wrapping it around her shoulders like a cloak. “Morning.” It was not exactly a good one, in her opinion, but she would acknowledge that sun was indeed lighting the sky with a predawn gray. 

“Good morning to you, too,” Sereno answered from beside her with what sounded like an equal lack of cheer. His voice was heavy with sleep, suggesting he hadn't been up for long, either. In front of them the camp was slowly stirring to life. The fire was currently being stoked back up to a merry blaze by Althea and beside her Dawn was pounding something unpleasant looking into a stone bowl. To the left of the fire, Ralston was poking his half-sister mercilessly to wake her up and Marion and Ealhdun were nowhere to be seen.

“I'm making blister cream for anyone who needs it,” Dawn announced as she noticed the others getting up. “Marion and Ealhdun have gone to scavenge up some breakfast.”

“Mm, when you put it that way, it sounds super delicious,” Coraline voiced groggily. Second by second the chill of the morning stole away the lingering fuzz of sleep.

“You don't sound sincere,” Ralston observed wryly as he turned his attention to her. He had given up the battle with the Seer and was leaving the woman alone for the moment. Her whispered threats to his manhood did not escape his pointed ears.

“The word scavenge always makes me think of vultures,” she answered with a shrug. Coraline then looked back to Dawn and her goop, “Did you say blister cream? I'll take double helpings please and thank you. The sooner I can get out of these godforsaken slippers and into some real shoes, the better it's going to be for all of us.”

“Yeah, really sorry there wasn't more time to grab more practical travel clothes,” Althea commiserated. The naiad had opted to go barefoot early on in the journey, something Coraline wished she could have done as well but her feet were not as calloused. Even if the slippers didn't offer her much protection from rocks or mud they were better than nothing at all. “Soon as we get to Osterledge, though, we'll fix you right up with some sturdy new boots and nice britches.”

“And that's suppose to be another two days?” She failed to hide the weariness in her voice.

“This ointment will help tremendously,” Dawn assured. “I picked the ingredients fresh this morning and my skill at herbal magic is near legendary. This will do more than just speed the healing of your skin but also numb it. It should last you five hours or more and since we will be traveling through the woods I can gather more plants as needed to make more later.”

“Sounds great, Dee,” Tamara said as she finally sat up. She looked slightly more pleasant, having been granted the choice to greet the morning on her own terms once Ralston stopped his pestering. “I didn't want to say anything while we were on the march but I'm with Coraline, my feet are killing me.”

“Glad I'm not the only one,” Coraline grumbled. “While we're on the subject of complaining and looking forward to our destination: I really, _really_ cannot wait for a good hot soak. I used to think of myself as an outdoorsy type but that might have had something to do with knowing showers were an option at the end of the day.”

“There's a stream not too far from here I could lead you to if you wanted to rinse off a bit,” Althea offered. “It's about as far removed from 'a good hot soak' as you can get but it will do the job. I'm planing to have a go in it after we eat, you're welcome to join me.”

The thought of being at least a _little_ cleaner warred with the dread of freezing cold creek water for almost a solid minute before she accepted the naiad's invitation. It would be better than nothing at all, she decided. After that was settled, Coraline turned her attention to the man still sitting close to her side. He looked distracted and his blue eyes were gazing blankly into the fire. His lips were pulled into a slight frown. She was about to ask him what was the matter when the sudden arrival of their two missing members distracted her.

Marion had uprooted an entire berry bush, roots and all, rather than waste time picking them. He deposited his find in the center of the makeshift camp and then turned to help Ealhdun who had three little fish that barely looked like enough to feed one person. “Wow, if I would have known that this was all you two would be bringing back I would have gone myself,” Althea commented dryly as she looked over the meager offering.

“Well, the stream you indicated earlier is barely more than runoff from an ice cube. It's a wonder I caught anything at all,” the fae shot back defensively.

“Then why not go for bigger game? It's a forest, if the option of fish looked slim grab some squirrels instead,” the naiad countered with a roll of her hazel eyes.

Ealhdun just threw his hands into the air in frustration, “Then maybe you _should_ have gone. You can be in charge of lunch later since you're so picky.”

Sensing that she had hit a nerve Althea relented and let the subject drop. “I guess it all works out in the end, we don't want a big breakfast weighing down our gut once we get to walking.”

The duke did not look entirely mollified but he too let the matter drop. The morning meal passed in a reflective hush and was over quickly. “When you two get back the ointment will be finished setting and you can apply it liberally,” Dawn told them as Coraline and Althea got up to head out.

“Be careful, the both of you,” Sereno said from his seat at the edge of the camp. He almost looked like he wanted to follow but he remained where he was.

“I'm always careful,” Althea said flippantly over her shoulder as she lead the other girl into the trees.

“Back in a bit,” Coraline added and then quickly followed after the auburn haired woman. The going was slower once they made it a few paces in, the underbrush grew thicker and the dim light of morning grew less. Coraline stumbled over a root and swore under her breath before gritting her teeth and pressing on. 'This had better be worth it,' she thought grumpily.

“When we officially set out we'll be keeping to the road and it wont be as bad,” Althea said in response to the other girl's whispered cursing. “So, how long have you actually known Sereno?” The sudden change in topic seemed to come out of nowhere. “I think he might have said yesterday but I don't remember.”

The young woman decided to roll with the conversation. She always preferred talking over awkward silences, anyway. “Roughly eight years, but of course I'm not sure how much of that you can count seeing as how I've always just known him as Cat. He helped me fight against the Beldame – I had only recently turned eleven and probably would have died if he hadn't been there.”

“The witch was his assignment, so really, you did him the favor not the other way around. He probably feels like he owes you,” the other woman speculated.

“No, if you had been there it's pretty clear who owes who. Haha, at one point I literally threw him at that old hag. He really did not appreciate that move.”

Althea's answering giggles were light and ringing in the early morning quiet. “Oh that must have been a sight! When we have more time I really _do_ want to hear your tale from start to finish. It's a shame we didn't get to finish breakfast yesterday. Perhaps once we are on the road again you can share as we walk.”

“Only if you can promise we'll be walking at a normal pace today. I honestly don't know how I managed to keep up,” the younger girl answered with a roll of her eyes.

They arrived at the stream without incident. At once Coraline could understand Ealhdun's complaining. In fact, what she couldn't understand was how he had managed to come back with anything at all! From the looks of it, this creek might have only been good for crawfish and frogs unless it got bigger on down from where they were.

The water was cold but not as cutting as she had braced for. She waded in to the deepest point that she could find – a little dip that brought the water level almost to her knees– and used the wet cloth of her ruined dress to wash off as much as possible. “You're proving to be made of some pretty stern stuff, I wouldn't sell your talents short. Of course you kept up,” Althea replied after a short delay.

“At school I'm part of a team of sprinters, there aren't enough of us to become competitive with other schools but it keeps me in shape. I credit all the stern material you say I have to that,” the girl answered with a chuckle. “That, and I guess facing a giant metal bug monster makes a person a little more hard core than most.” Another happy giggle from Althea was all the answer she received on that note.

“I think he was secretly pleased that you're also a cat, like him,” the conversation bounced again.

“Probably,” Coraline agreed. “I guess it's a good thing I like cats. Does it ever happen that someone turns into an animal they don't like? Or! What if they're allergic to the animal they turn into? You guys have allergies, right?”

“I'm sure those things happen, but I don't know of any such thing off of the top of my head, no,” Althea answered with a smile. The two quickly exited the flowing creek and the naiad bent the wind to dry them. Coraline's teeth were chattering excessively after that. “S-s-so do you e-each have an element or something?” She asked, noting the swirl of air still lingering around the naiad's skirt hem.

“Most of us over here do, but not everyone has an affinity with any one element in particular. Sometimes it depends on race and sometimes personality infused magic that develops later in life. Where mine is air, Ralston and Marion have fire, Dawn and Sereno have some variation of plant-life, and I'm pretty sure Ealhdun has a thing for water but I couldn't say for sure.” The sun had risen during their wash and the sky above them shown through the trees in brilliant magenta and gold now.

Even though her feet still hurt and her teeth were still clacking together from cold, Coraline thought the morning looked amazingly picturesque at that moment. Beams of light filtered down in broken rays and reflected off the clear water of the stream and the flora around them was dyed in a honey glaze. 'This is the sort of scene you'd expect on an expensive greeting card,' she thought idly while turning around to head for camp. That foot cream was starting to sound really good about now...

Althea stopped abruptly and thrust her arm out to stop the other girl from taking another step. The naiad's head cocked sharply to the side, listening for something intensely. Coraline saw the other woman's body go rigid and felt her heart skip a beat. Something wasn't right.

“What –” a flash of movement from the trees diagonal from them silenced Coraline's question. Simultaneously, there echoed a roar of pure rage from the direction of camp. A chill ran down her spine but she did not have time to think about who it might have come from. Erupting from the foliage was a man in dark navy clothes, short brown hair, and a nasty looking long blade that appeared to be shimmering with pale white fire.

With a sharp shout and painful ripping sound, Althea's wings shot out and suddenly she was in the air. There was blood on the blow-back from the leathery appendages and their teal color was tinged with red. In an instant of horrified understanding, Coraline realized that they were not suppose to extend that quickly. However, she couldn't allow herself to dwell on how much pain Althea was likely in. As the intruder was distracted by the woman's sudden flight, Coraline sprung into action herself. Thinking quickly, she darted back to the water right as Althea let loose a blast of wind at the unknown man. The focused gale knocked him off balance and let the naiad skirted out of range of his blade. Before he could regain his footing, Coraline took aim with a softball sized river-rock and threw it at his head. 

She had always been proud of her aim, with good reason. Her projectile hit its target with a sickening crack and the man sank to his knees, dropping his weapon and clutching the left side of his face. At the range she had been, with the force she had put behind it, Coraline was certain that if this man were human, he would not be conscious. Her unexpected attack had clearly fractured the bone around his bleeding eye socket and he was gasping in pain. Coraline's stomach clinched in sympathy. Even if it had been self-defense, violence did not sit well with her. Not when the consequences stayed in front of you, and bled the same red blood... She suppressed the urge to say sorry, but only just barely. 'He attacked, us,' she reminded herself firmly. Althea landed with a heavy thump, and quickly grabbed up the man's fallen sword.

The sight of blood coating the naiad's back -matting her long hair and dripping down her wings- helped ease Coraline's feelings of guilt. She had done that to herself to protect them, not having had time to stop and let her wings out the way she usually did. With a numb tingle of resignation, she realized that this was the nature of war: hurt or be hurt, kill or be killed. It wasn't glorious or heroic and it left a bad taste in her mouth.

The two women backed away from the downed man, tense and ready to act, when there came the sounds of a second disturbance. Sereno burst from the trees onto the scene. Correction, he burst _from_ a tree, exiting directly from the trunk of one close by. His eyes were fierce and he had a blood soaked dagger in his grip. At the sight of him Coraline felt some of the tension leave her body. Her legs suddenly did not feel like supporting her and she almost slumped forward. “Are you two okay?” He eyed the wounded intruder who was making no move to get up – likely suffering a concussion and well as being semi-blinded.

“We're alright. Coraline took him out,” Althea said, her voice sounding breathy from her own pain.

“You're bleeding,” he observed in concern. He quickly walked over to them, feeling safe in assuming the other man wasn't going to trying leaving any time soon.

“Wings came out too fast,” she answered him stiffly. Sereno grimaced in sympathy but nodded his head as he closed the distance. He moved behind the naiad and carefully began extracting her damp hair from the cuts along her shoulder blades.

“Where is everyone else?” Coraline quickly asked, noticing that no one else had joined them yet.

The dryad's face darkened further and he shot a glare at the enemy soldier in their midst. “They took Tamara. She had barely gotten the warning out that we were about to be ambushed when they overwhelmed us. Ealhdun is cleaning up camp and gathering our supplies, Dawn is chasing after Marion and Ralston who tore off after their sister as soon as it was clear that she was the target and was being abducted.”

“Are we going after them too? We should go and help Ealhdun pack: there wasn't much but it will go faster that way we can try and catch up to the others,” Coraline said, trying to regain her mental bearings and cope with the situation. She needed to be busy. 'They took Tamara? Please let her brothers get to her before something happens. Why would they want her? Dawn's the princess, wouldn't she be a more reasonable target?' Her mind was working overtime and her feet were already leading her back in the direction towards camp when she felt someone take her hand.

Sereno shook his head, “He will join us when he is finished. I don't want you to have to see the mess.”

Understanding dawned quickly and following close after it was a dizzying feeling of nausea. “Oh,” she answered simply. She swayed a little on her feet and her friend pulled her to his chest, hugging her protectively and silently calming his own nerves. He had been half mad with worry for her when the camp and been attacked, he remembered that neither woman had taken a weapon... He pressed his nose to the crown of her head and momentarily tuned out the world around them as he got his heartbeat back under control.

“Are there more of you,” he heard Althea question. At the other woman's voice Sereno brought himself back to the present but did not completely relinquish his hold on Coraline.

“There... were fifteen of us and we knew there were eight of you.” The man on the ground replied slowly. He seemed to be taking care to enunciate each word. “When I noticed only six around the fire I came to find you... so that you could not come in as reinforcements.”

“Seems to have worked out well for you,” Althea answered dryly.

“You... are still here, are you not? And your friends... are far out of reach now. I would say,” he paused, as if actually forgetting what it was he was about to say. He carefully pulled his hand away from his head for the first time and squinted at the blood on it with his remaining good eye. “I would say I succeeded as a distraction, at least.” He chuckled to himself and in an undertone added, “Can't believe the little bitch threw a damn rock at me...”

“You threw a rock at him?” Sereno asked, looking down at the young woman at his side. He felt a surge of amused pride wash through him at that revelation. Althea had said that she had been the one to disable the threat but something so simple and straight forward as using a rock? But lord, did he love this girl! “Very nice.” He resisted the urge to kiss her forehead, not wanting to display affection in front of an enemy. Instead he looked back at the bleeding man and informed him coldly, “There are nine bodies at our campsite, none of them belong to Morgana's kingdom. Unless the remainder of your party are faster than deer with more endurance than horses, I expect that number to go up before too much longer.” Beside him he felt Coraline shiver at his statement but he did not look back to her.

“It would be three against five,” the injured soldier shot back, seemingly unfazed by the dryad's grim prediction.

“If they did not take the precaution to render her unconscious, the actual odds are four against five,” Althea corrected smugly.

“We did not have strict orders in regards to bringing her back alive, the objective was to remove the advantage of foreknowledge from your merry little band.” Most of the shock seemed to be wearing off now, his words were less slurred. “In fact, if my comrades have any grasp on tact, your friend is likely already dead.”

“Oh, I doubt that,” a new voice answered. Joining them and looking far worse for wear, Ealhdun pushed his way between two bushes to stand with them on the bank of the stream. He was now carrying both travel bags over each shoulder, and his once pristine gray tailored suit was torn and spattered with blood. However, he seemed mostly well intact aside from a slight limp and an ugly red line going down the side of his left leg. “It would be a complete waste to kill Tamara when capture and subjugation are an option. I fully believe he will have ordered her to be kept alive. I feel some twinge of sympathy for your men once her brothers catch up.”

“What would you know of our orders, traitor?”

“Oh, on some things I do not need to know specifics to discern the patterns of thought my cousin is prone to.”

“Assumptions will make an ass out of you. Not that you've ever needed extra help in that regard.”

“Clearly. By the way, what happened to your face?” The smile that spread across the fae's features when he asked was sharp and humorless.

The man didn't answer but shot a squinted, thunderous glare at Coraline, exposing his teeth in a frustrated grimace. Ealhdun followed his countryman's line of sight and his smile melted into a more natural one and a chuckle escaped him. “Brilliant! Serves you right, then, for coming to pick on the poor girl. Also, Althea, put that sword down, it is likely hexed and could be slowly draining your energy without your noticing.”

“I was wondering why it was glowing,” Coraline voiced out loud, more to herself than to anyone else. However, everyone turned to look at her as Althea threw the blade to the ground.

“What do you mean, it's glowing?” Sereno asked just as Ealhdun asked, “You can see it's magic?” The two men spared a moment to look at one another and then quickly turned back to Coraline.

“Well, yeah. It's kind of like a really pale fire, it almost looks like the shimmer of heat rising but a bit more tangible,” she answered. “Um. Are you saying that most people can't see that kind of stuff? I just assumed all magic had a color, like when Dawn was turning everyone into animals and glowed gold.”

“Are you absolutely sure she's human?” Ealhdun asked with one brow raised inquiringly.

“ _Pretty_ sure I'd know if I weren't, wouldn't I? I mean, there are baby pictures to prove it!”

“Hey! You just sit yourself back down, cyclops,” Althea commanded suddenly and effectively halting the conversation.

“Oh, so now you care to pay attention. And here I thought you would rather have a nice sit down and talk about the weather next,” the injured fae barked irritably. He had been slowly inching to his feet while the attention was off of him, hoping for an escape. “Might I know what you plan to do with me? If you're going to kill me do it now and save yourselves and me from the suspense. I'm not going to tell you anything useful. Some of us still know the meaning of loyalty.”

“No, don't kill him!” Coraline interjected before she could stop herself.

“Spare me your useless pity, child,” the kneeling man responded sardonically.

Coraline felt her cheeks begin to flush at the man's ungrateful rebuke but she still felt it would somehow be wrong to kill him now. He was outnumbered, weaponless and bleeding, he couldn't possibly be a threat any more, right? She bit her lip indecisively and glanced at Sereno to judge his reaction. The man's face was too impassive at the moment to properly gauge what he might be thinking but he spared her the trouble of guessing when he said, “It _would_ be a bit excessive at this point. Let's just knock him out and leave him. He can slink back to his master later. Or, if he makes the mistake of trying to confront us again, we'll just kill him then.”

She found herself satisfied with his answer but she wondered if he had only made the decision in difference to her feelings. Would they have killed him if she hadn't of said anything? She decided not to dwell on it. So long as she didn't have to watch someone die in front of her, she didn't particularly care _what_ Sereno's reasoning was.

“Alright then,” Ealhdun said crisply before placing his hand palm down on the crown of the injured man's head. With a brief, muttered incantation the other man slummed to the ground with a heavy thud.

Coraline frowned a little then asked, “What now?”

“The others were running west, it looked like,” Ealhdun answered. “If we are to catch up, we had better head out soon. Here, Coraline, Dawn finished this, might as well not let it go to waste.” He fished out the bowl the mage had been using earlier. “Do you need any, Al? I don't know if might help or just aggravate the lacerations.”

“No thank you, I will be fine with out it, but if one of you could be kind enough to help me bandage my back it would be much appreciated. I doubt I will be able to pull my wings back in for a few days and definitely no more flying unless it is absolutely necessary.” She let out a little self-depreciating laugh and sighed, “I haven't done anything this stupid in a while. Last time I made this mistake it was a fortnight before they were useful again.”

“I'm sorry you got hurt, but if it's any consolation, it was your quick thinking that gave me the opening to hit him,” Coraline put in. “So thanks,” she said while she sat down and took the ointment that the fae had given her. While she coated the bottoms of her feet Sereno walked over to the wounded naiad and led her back over to the water to begin washing off her back for her.

“We had better hurry before our friend wakes back up. I don't think the poor fellow can stand to have any more blows to the head today,” Ealhdun commented with a grim chuckle. He turned to Coraline, “I do understand your reluctance for bloodshed but I feel I should remind you, had it not been for said quick thinking, he would likely have harmed or killed either of you. Mercy is a wonderful quality but do not ever place the life of someone else over your own.”

The girl nodded mutely to him and focused on rubbing the oddly cool goop onto her sore feet. She knew he was right, and she felt reasonably sure that if she absolutely had to, she would be able to defend herself or her friends at the cost of another's life. A large part of her still hoped she would never have to.

Sereno had ripped up one of the blankets into strips to tie around Althea's injured wings and back and once finished, he turned his attention back to Coraline. “We're going to have to move swiftly to cover the distance needed to catch up with the others, come here and I'll carry you.”

The younger girl was startled at his offer but was immediately grateful for it. There was absolutely no way she would be able to run at a reasonable speed in her current state and certainly not in her current wardrobe. “Thanks,” she said simply, trying not to let her relief show _too_ much. She managed to flash him a brief, grateful smile before securing the scraps of cloth that dared to call themselves shoes back onto her feet.

“You, too, Althea,” Ealhdun interjected quickly as Sereno secured his passenger. “You've lost a lot of blood and I shall carry you, if you will allow.”

“You're already weighed down by the travel bags,” she pointed out with a frown. “My back is hurt, not my legs.”

“Last I checked, one's spine and shoulder alignment have a direct effect on one's limbs as well as balance. Besides, as I said, you've lost a lot of blood, more than you probably realize. Now, quit being stubborn and come here. You know that there's nothing overly heavy in either of these satchels,” his tone brooked no argument.

The other woman relented without further protest and allowed Ealhdun to help her up on his back. “Let's go make sure Marion doesn't burn the whole forest down,” she said with a tired, dry chuckle. Without another word the four of them plunged into the trees.

 

 


	9. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang reunites and the origins of Coraline's mysterious new powers are speculated upon.

“ _Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles, it takes away today's peace.”_ – Zig Ziglar

 

“This is futile! At this rate we could be running in the complete opposite direction and never know it,” Althea said with open pessimism. They had been jogging at a quick but maintainable pace for little over eight minutes and had lost the trail that the others had taken. The naiad was the best tracker of their group but in her current state she was unable to contribute much and her usual methods were on hold until she regained some of her strength. Shifting her position higher up onto the fae's back–irritably pushing the man's lavender and blond hair out of her face– she peered ahead of them, going so far as to sniff the air like a hound on the hunt. 

Sereno sighed in acknowledgment and called for a temporary halt. “There is another way, but I had hoped we would catch up to them without having to split up our numbers again. I can go on ahead and find them faster and come back for you.” He released his hold on Coraline's thighs and let her slide down off his back. He took the dagger from the belt of his trousers and handed it over to her while turning the rest of his attention to Ealhdun. “I trust you to look after them while I'm gone?”

“As if you have to ask,” he answered with a wave of his hand. “I do believe between the three of us, we're a formidable band... even with Althea being a little damaged.”

“Yeah, like you're in perfect condition, yourself,” the woman retorted. “How your leg hasn't given out yet is beyond me.”

“Ah, it's just a scratch,” the man replied lightly.

Coraline snorted in morbid amusement. That earned her three confused glanced but she just shook her head, “Sorry, nothing.” Sereno _might_ have understood the reference if she had explained but she doubted that Ealhdun had even heard of Monty Python. “What are you planning to do?” She asked instead, quickly shifting the subject.

“I'm going to take a short-cut.” He answered cryptically. “Stay here, I'll be back shortly and hopefully with good news.” With that he walked forward and promptly phased through the nearest tree, passing straight through the bark as though it were air but failing to emerge from the other side.

Coraline regarded the unchanged trunk in open curiosity. “How does he do that?”

Althea shrugged and then grimaced, immediately regretting the action, “It's just part of what he is. Like my wings are for me, something I was born with, so it is for him and trees. All wood, really, now that I think about it. He's a dryad.” She explained simply. “It's what they do.”

“So he can use them to teleport?” When he had done his little trick as a cat she had simply taken it for granted at the time that it was a fluke within the Other World that allowed it. She found it interesting that it was in fact something he could do at will. Frankly, it did explain how he would get in and out of her room when she never remembered opening the door for him.

“More or less, but it's not quite that straight forward. Maybe you can ask him about it sometime,” the other woman answered. With that she gingerly sat down on the leaf covered forest floor, making sure not to accidentally sit on her wings and keeping her sore back ram-rod straight.

Coraline followed her lead and plopped down with much less ceremony. Ealhdun remained standing but did put his back to a tree to lounge against it and in doing so subtly took the weight off of his injured leg. The human girl looked at the man for a moment, seemingly sizing him up before she said, “I know it's stopped bleeding by now, but don't you think you should bandage your leg? Keep out dirt and stuff? I don't know, just seems wrong to leave it open like that.”

His tan and green eyes locked with her brown ones briefly before he looked down at his leg. “Perhaps,” he answered with a slight smirk. Clearly he seemed unconcerned about it. “It's really not as deep as it looks. Mostly, it just needs to be washed. I thank you for your show of concern, though.”

Coraline pursed her lips and shrugged. 'Whatever,' she thought tiredly. Obviously it wasn't bothering him too much or he would do something about it. As far as injuries went she was honestly more worried about the other female sitting to her right. Althea was breathing shallowly and still looked a little pale but her face was blank and almost serene. 'I've gotten off pretty light, so far. A few blisters really doesn't hold up to that sort of pain,' she reflected. She didn't like awkward silences but she also didn't feel like being the one to break the quiet. It was a tight and watchful stillness and the others seemed lost in thought so she decided to try and enjoy the break despite the slightly oppressive tension.

No longer caring if she managed to get her dress any dirtier, Coraline crossed her legs at her ankles and laid back, using her arms as a pillow. The sun was still making it's way into the sky and the morning had a bit of lingering pinkish glow that contrasted prettily as it filtered down through the leaves in perfect beams of light. Again she was struck with the irony of her setting. How could the world continue to be so beautiful when there was so much going horribly wrong within it? It didn't seem fair that her legs felt like lead, two of her new friends were bleeding, one of them might be dead, and several men _had_ died not but a few short minutes ago... Yes, it was a lot easier to just admire the way the sun fell in soft patterns and how the air smelled crisp and clean.

Coraline closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. 'I can do this,' she reminded herself. She may have lost count on how many times she had told herself the same line but she figured one more couldn't hurt. 'Remember, you've been in tricky, awful, and life-threatening situations before. Actually, I was probably in _more_ danger with the Beldame, I was her actual target. Here, I'm just one of many targets,' which really wasn't too much of a comfort. She might be one of many but there were now many more enemies in a world that was nothing compared to the void space of the Other world. Somehow she didn't think that bargaining and a high-stakes scavenger hunt were going to be part of the plan this time around. 'She may or may not be dead yet, and it may have been an indirect consequence... but I've killed before.' That thought didn't make her feel any better, either.

Her morbid train of thought was interrupted when Sereno's voice burst back onto the scene, “I found them.”

He instructed them to stay where they were and that he was going to lead the others to them. Coraline sat further up from her spot on the ground and watched the trees anxiously. She assumed the rest of their group couldn't be too bad off or else he would have told them before leaving again. It wasn't much longer before she caught the distinct sounds of crunching leaves and sticks as they made their way to where she, Althea and Ealhdun sat waiting.

Dawn arrived first, followed closely by the two brothers and Sereno. Coraline held her breath in dread when she saw that Marion was carrying his sister's limp body. Before she could really begin to panic she noticed the other woman was still breathing and she made herself take a deep, calming breath. “We've tried to wake her, she doesn't appear to be physically injured but she won't respond to us,” Ralston informed them worriedly.

“She's obviously been enchanted but there hasn't been time to try and figure out how,” Marion added. He lowered himself to the ground slowly, still cradling the Seer protectively.

“Al! Are you okay?” Ralston was the first of the new arrivals to notice the state of the rest of their party.

“Well enough, thank you,” the naiad answered stiffly and with a strained smile. She quickly diverted attention away from herself and back to her friend, “She's not wearing anything new that she didn't have this morning, is she?” It was not uncommon for cursed jewelry to be used in these sorts of situations.

“No, we checked,” Dawn answered, following the lead from everyone else and having a seat. After the near marathon sprint she and the two elves had just undergone it was easy to see that they all needed to compose themselves.

Scooting closer to the unresponsive woman, Coraline leaned over Marion's shoulder to look down at her. Initially she had only wanted to confirm to herself that her new friend was indeed unhurt but as she peered down at her sleeping face she noticed an odd purple cast to her dark, smooth features. “Um, guys? Remember what we were talking about earlier before that jerk-face interrupted?”

“You see something?” Ealhdun asked quickly, instantly catching on to what young woman was referring to.

All eyes shifted to her and she faltered for a moment before looking back down at Tamara to make sure she wasn't just imagining it. “There's, like, a faint purple glow on her eyes that sort of leeks out to the rest of her face and darkens again at her mouth. Does that mean anything to you?”

Ealhdun laughed, relief showing clearly in his features. “Of course,” he muttered to himself, and then to the rest of them, “It's a simple curse that's easy to remove. Most people who do not know it's been cast wouldn't think it so simple to undo.” He leaned down, faltering only briefly as his injured leg stiffened and locked up on him before kneeling in front of their downed companion. The brothers were watching him with open suspicion and anticipation as the man reached forward and shifted Tamara to face him. Without another word of explanation or warning he kissed the sleeping girl firmly on the lips.

Coraline saw a spark of orange leap out at the contact and the unnatural color hovering over the woman's face vanished as Ealhdun pulled back. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” Sereno said with a huff. “That old spell, really?”

“It would have stumped you lot, wouldn't it?” The fae shot back with a smirk. “It is easy to underestimate it because it is so simple.”

“I'm going to go out on a limb here,” Coraline interjected, “and guess that that's the spell we hear all the stuff about 'true love's kiss' with?” She was completely surprised at the solution and her first instinct had been to go 'aw' but a quick reflection of what she knew about the two individuals didn't strike her at all as the 'true love' type.

“I think in it's origin it _was_ about true love to break it,” Ralston said, now grinning broadly as his half-sister began to stir. “It's so old and has been modified so often that now it's almost used as lightly as a prank these days.”

“Well, that's good that it wasn't anything too serious, huh?” Coraline added, beginning to relax a little.

“Indeed,” Dawn answered with a speculative look at the human. “Coraline,” she spoke deliberately and seemed to be working out thoughts even as she spoke, “how is it that you see magic and why have you not said so before now?”

“Honestly, I didn't think that I was the only one who could do it until just a little while ago,” she told them with a shrug. She was just as confused as they were about it. “Is it really that rare of a thing?”

“Maybe now would be a good time to tell us everything that happened to you back when you first encountered Sereno and this trip to a void world,” Dawn suggested helpfully. “I feel like we're going to be here for a little while we all catch our breaths again, there should be time to fill us in.”

“Ugh, good mornin'?” Tamara muttered as she sat up and rubbed her forehead. She took a slow look around, confusion showing clearly in her pale green eyes. “What did I miss?”

Ralston chuckled and ruffled her already messy curls while their brother silently just hugged her tighter for a moment before helping her to move out of his lap. “Oh, not a lot, really,” the blond elf replied with affectionate sarcasm.

 

oOoOoOo

 

After the others had helped bring Tamara up to speed with what she had missed in the time since the attack, everyone turned their full attention to Coraline. She took her time and started from the beginning, from the moment she'd first met Sereno in his feline form and her rather patchy start with him and Wybie. Once she began recounting the events within the Other World, Sereno spoke up from time to time in order to correct a detail or expound upon an event and add his perspective. The whole story ended up taking three quarters of an hour to tell but once it was over the others were regarding her in a new light.

As to the question of her mysterious ability to see magic, Marion was the first to make a suggestion, “I believe it may have had something to do with the Hag Stone you used that your elderly friends gave you after the Beldame abducted your parents. They're often attributed with magic and occasionally real ones manifest on your world, brought up from the sea.”

“Hag Stone?” Coraline asked in confusion. “Well _that_ doesn't sound appealing.”

“They are sometimes also called Adder Stones and if the one given to you was for sight and helped you to see the souls of the stolen children, it isn't too much to suppose its gift may have rubbed off on you and resurfaced here in our world where magic is more abundant,” Dawn said with a nod.

“Huh. So I'm magic now?” She needed some clarification before she would let herself do a little mental jig at just how cool she thought that was. If it was some fluke that would go away if she ever got home again then it was nothing to get too worked up over.

“It would appear so,” Sereno answered as he gave her a slight smirk. He clearly had some idea of her train of thought but he didn't comment. “Unfortunately, it wont be much of a parlor trick since you'll be the only one able to see anything.”

“Har-har,” she answered blandly. She gave him a familiar shove and then promptly went back to the conversation. “So, does that mean I'm the only one who sees when Tamara's eyes flash white and shimmery all over?”

“They do?” The woman in question, now looking far more healthy and alert, was gazing at Coraline with a bright and curious smile.

“Yeah! It only lasts for about half a second and it's... well, have you ever seen a crocodile close just the one, flimsy eyelid? It's kind of like that but prettier. All of your eyes, not just the iris and pupil, glow for a moment and that's usually followed by you saying something that's about to happen.”

Ealhdun pursed his lips thoughtfully and placed a finger to his chin. “Your gift may prove useful in the future. Perhaps it wont come up, but like as the case with the sword earlier, it might come in handy to know if an object has been cursed or if someone is about to cast a spell.”

Dawn nodded approvingly to the fae's observation, “I agree. Though, it might prove hard to utilize in an offensive manner it most certainly works to our advantage in other ways. Admittedly, it may never have a practical use. Still, it is good to know that you can do it.”

“Um, I think it had a _very_ practical use just now,” Ralston pointed out with a mild edge to his voice. “Wouldn't you say?” He cast a significant look at his half sister and then back to the royal.

“I was thinking about combat, but yes, you're completely right. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like I was being callous.”

“It's alright, I knew what you meant,” Tamara spoke up with a small chuckle. “But he has a point, sometimes your mind can be a little too one-track, Dee.”

Dawn shrugged without comment and the moment passed. “Speaking of tracks,” Sereno said, stepping in diplomatically, “what are the plans for moving forward? We're off course from the road by quite a ways at this point. Is everyone well recovered from this morning's adventures or should we take a day to further tend to our wounded? They'll be too stubborn to say they need to rest so I propose the rest of us decide,” he said as he waved a hand at the naiad and fae who were both shooting him annoyed looks.

Coraline, taking only a moment to look over at the two individuals in question –both still smeared in a worrying amount of dried blood– was the first to state her mind. “I think we should rest for a little while longer,” she turned her attention to Dawn, “You made a great foot ointment, do you think you can do something about Ealhdun's leg and Althea's back?”

“There's nothing to be done about my back but to keep it clean. Thanks to my wings, my skin reacts differently to injury as well as balms or ointments. It's already healing, due to my ability to expand and retract these great sails,” she gingerly touched the tip of her right wing where it lie limply on the ground beside her. “It's just a waiting game, now.”

“As much as I dislike the idea of losing an entire day's journey, I find myself in agreement with the girl,” Marion said. Coraline found his support unexpected but was thankful for it nonetheless. She had expected the staunch elf to be one of the party members in need of more coaxing before agreeing to the idea of spending a day to rest.

Dawn frowned briefly but nodded her head, “Alright, it seems we're setting up camp again.” She didn't look at all happy with the choice but it didn't appear she was going to press the issue. “We set out again at next light.” She promptly made to stand. “I'm going to gather some fresh ingredients, who's coming with me?” Without delay Marion was up on his feet as well. While the two of them headed off into the foliage, Coraline and the others dedicated themselves to stringing up the tarps and starting a fire.

While she was relieved to have won a small respite, she knew that the tranquility would only be temporary.

 


	10. An Unpleasant Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A proper introduction for Adderrik so he's no longer a shadow opponent in the story.  
> Coraline faces off against an unexpected antagonist.  
> More mentions of death.

“Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers,  
but to be fearless in facing them.  
Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but  
for the heart to conquer it.”  
― Rabindranath Tagore

 

Dust glittered in the air lazily as it struck the light, lending the large and ancient library a dreamy and disused feeling. Among the many shelves a light-haired man paced distractedly, his dark green eyes distant as he wondered past book after book. Hooking the leg of a nearby chair with his foot the man pulled the seat out from a low work table and sat down in it abruptly, the clack of the wood against the stone floor seemed to echo far louder in the quite room than the action truly required. The tall male grimaced at the sudden sound but quickly recovered, his somber mood never breaking.

News was too slow in coming and he was growing restless. He ran a hand across his short trimmed hair, brushing light lavender bangs out of his eyes as he did so. Adderrik often thought of himself as an extremely patient individual but as time dragged on with no word from the morning's assignment he was beginning to feel his limits tested. Realistically, he knew that the distance between his fortress and the target was no small hurdle but as the evening wore on his gut began to churn with the unpleasant prospect of their failure. “I should have sent more men,” he mused aloud while drumming his fingers against the table's surface. “Tight as we are on numbers, this mission was too important to leave to chance...” If his men failed it would only be his own fault for underestimating Morgana's warriors. Well, if they had failed, it was doing no good to sit brooding. Even if they were successful, he would need to get back to work one way or another. Though he had come to the library for a momentary respite he knew he would have to rejoin the real world soon. Unfortunately, a war did not run itself.

“Lord Adderrik,” a gruff voice broke the silence. His heart thumped mutinously in his chest as one of his runners rounded the corner of a bookcase, his dark bearded face set in a dour expression. “I regret to announce that this morning's mission did not go as planned.”

The fae king let out a frustrated sigh, his fingers clinching into a fist. Though he had been preparing himself for such an answer it was still highly unwelcome news. “I see,” he answered in a clipped tone as he stood back up. His break was officially over. “Are there any details on where it went wrong?”

“One soldier has made it back alive,” the other man answered quickly. “He has already been debriefed but perhaps you would like to speak with him yourself,” the doors parted for them with a heavy groan as the two made their way into a large hall. The late evening sun spilled onto the dark green carpeting in narrow rivets from slender windows to mark their path. “Oddly enough, he was mostly uninjured. He has been partially blinded, the bone of his skull damaged his left eye beyond repair. However, aside from the cuts around that wound he is otherwise unharmed. Do you think it was meant to be a statement?”

The monarch didn't answer but his green eyes were thoughtful. A few hallways later and the two fae let themselves into the infirmary where the returned soldier lie on a low cot receiving stitches. “Highness,” the soldier greeted somberly once he saw who it was entering the room. “I am sorry for our fail-”

Adderrik cut him off with a dismissive wave of his hand, interrupting the apology, “Exactly who was with the princess and the Seer and where did the mission go wrong?” He had known it was a difficult gamble, but there had been hope that the clairvoyant might have overlooked a smaller ambush long enough to surprise them rather than sending an entire troop to confront them. If her warning had nothing to do with the assignment going awry then any future plans would need to have the tipping factors worked in.

“Honestly, I separated from the main conflict before the official start of the skirmish. Since we knew to be expecting eight people, I went off looking for the missing members when I noticed only six around the fire. Aside from the princess and the Seer there were two male elves, and an air naiad... I suspect the other male to be a nymph or dryad, seeing as he could use the trees. Also, your cousin was with them,” the soldier recounted.

“Ah, so he did make it,” Adderrik commented thoughtfully as he listened intently to the report.

“Yes. And lastly, and the most unusual, there was a human girl with them. She seemed on friendly terms with them– particularly close to the possible nymph– and she's the one who gave me this damn headache.” The soldier grunted. “She is also... begrudgingly... the reason I am still alive. She begged them to spare me. Possibly sick at the sight of blood. She seemed young, and interestingly enough, they spoke about her being able to see magic, but they couldn't explain it. That's about the time that the conversation came back to me, so I wasn't able to gather anything else from the situation.”

“Interesting, indeed,” the fae king muttered, though the admission seemed to be for his own sake than anyone else in the room.

“I know some of our party were able to capture the Seer, at least for a brief time, but it appears they were ill prepared for the speed and tenacity of their pursuers.” The soldier sat up from his cot, his cuts now fully tended to, and looked at his king fully with his remaining eye. “I believe, if we were to try again, we would need more manpower.”

“Or a way of separating them,” the fae who had retrieved him from the library suggested.

“You said the human could see magic? Are you sure?” The three subordinates in the room recognized the tone in their king's question. He was already planing something.

 

oOoOoOo

 

Somehow this day had seemed longer than the previous one. Even though the group spent the majority of the time resting and tending to wounds, the hours felt like they were dragging by slower than the endless marching from earlier. Coraline felt the idleness keenly and could understand why Dawn had initially seemed so displeased at the idea of stopping for a full day. However, after getting closer looks at the deep wounds both Althea and Ealhdun had received, she still believed they had made the right choice to call for an extended halt.

Despite his insistence that he was fine, once the mage had set to cleaning and doctoring the fae's leg she tutted in disbelief as she pulled a shard of metal out. “That could have turned nasty extremely quickly if we had not of found this,” she commented. Althea, for her part, had snatched up one of the remaining blankets and made herself a pallet to lie down on and had been sleeping the afternoon away. The rest of the company alternated in tending the fire and going off to hunt for food. Coraline had tried to keep busy and help where she could but admitted that there really wasn't a lot she could do aside from use the time to rest up herself. She and Sereno had taken a turn to gather firewood but beyond that she had spent most of the day in quite conversation.

'I guess an upside to today has been that I've gotten to learn more about everyone,' Coraline thought to herself as she looked up through the leaves to the darkening sky. A few scattered stars were already visible in the indigo canvas above them. 'Ealhdun and Althea haven't been the only ones in need of some rest and time to recover, either. Dawn's foot ointment is a wonder cream.' Her slippers had been officially abandoned for the rest of the day. She wiggled her toes experimentally as she sat in the circle of roots at the base of a tree. As much as she really did enjoy having the time to sit down, she was getting a little bored. The conversation had long since shifted away from topics she could easily follow. Those of the group who had known each other longest were quietly conferring among themselves which left her to her own devices. In the middle of a forest with not even a book to read, said devices were decidedly limited.

After several minutes of staring up at the night sky, listening to the hushed voiced around the crackling fire that accompanied the low hum of bugs and leaves in the wind, the young woman's eyelids began to grow heavy. She shifted lower against the trunk of the tree and stretched before curling into a comfortable position and resting her head on her elbow.

She was woken up some time later by strong arms lifting her out of the little burrow in the roots. Coraline's sleep blurred eyes squinted up at the man who'd disturbed her dream. Sereno's light copper skin glowed in the firelight as he brought her closer to it. He gently rubbed her arms as he sat her back down and took up a spot beside her. Now that she was awake again she noticed how chilly she was. She hadn't meant to fall asleep but thinking back, she really should have expected it. “Thanks,” she muttered groggily as he brought a blanket around the both of them. She wasn't sure how long she had dozed off for, but as she lied down beside her friend and looked up at the night sky the patches visible through the canopy of leaves were covered in stars where before she could have counted them all on her fingers.

“Sorry for losing track of the time,” Sereno told her quietly as he shifted to get comfortable.

“S'okay,” she whispered back. She noticed that everyone else had bedded down as well, with the exception of Dawn who seemed to be taking first watch. Coraline nodded to the other woman as their eyes made contact across the fire pit. The redhead gave a small smile and tilted her head in answer before turning her attention back to the mortar and pedestal in her hands. Coraline wondered if it was more ointment she was making or if she had another concoction in the works. She decided that finding out could wait until morning and snuggled back into Sereno's chest instead. She greedily reveled in his shared body heat, already feeling sleep creeping back to claim her.

When next she woke up she was cold again. Sereno had rolled over onto his back in his sleep and had inadvertently taken most of the cover with him. The fire was still going but it was noticeably lower now. She blinked into the dimming light, momentarily disoriented. As her eyes adjusted she looked around to see who might be standing guard. It took her having to actually turn around and squint into the darkness behind her to discover the individual on duty.

Ralston sat among the roots of the tree she herself had been moved from earlier. His green eyes seemed to glow in the fire's low light. She couldn't quite tell, but it appeared that he was flicking a rock into the air and catching it over and over again. Seeming to feel her eyes on him, he looked over to her. “What are you doing awake?” He whispered softly. Before she could answer he snorted a little in amusement, “Sereno stole all the blanket, did he? When you take it back, you should stick your poor cold fingers and toes on him and teach him a lesson.”

The young woman smiled gently, appreciative of the elf's sense of humor. “While you're up, and since you're closer, would you mind throwing a few more sticks on the fire before you go back to sleep?”

“No problem,” she whispered back with a shrug. She rolled back over and carefully crawled to the edge of the flames and fed it some of the dry brush from the nearby pile. Now that she was up and moving around her body decided that it would be a good time for a bathroom trip. She spared a brief moment of longing for the warm blanket her friend was hogging before she forced herself to her feet. She wouldn't be able to hold it for much longer, might as well not get comfortable again just yet. “I've got to go tinkle,” she said bluntly as she looked over to the blond elf.

He nodded in understanding and gave a single shoulder shrug. “Don't wander off too far, be sure you can still see the camp fire. I've got good ears so I should hear if anyone comes to bother you. I doubt it, though, it's been a very quiet evening.”

She nodded in return and walked around the fire to head off into the trees to relieve herself. She didn't like using the bathroom outside, it was awkward and unpleasant. But her dad had gone through a serious camping phase back when she was fifteen so at least she could do it without much trouble. Still, she didn't like the thought of being listened in on while she did her business, especially if Ralston's pointed ears were as good as he claimed. She decided to go a little further into the forest to avoid getting bladder shy. After walking a distance she turned to look over her shoulder, relieved that she could still see the faint glow of orange through the trees and undergrowth.

The night was starkly colder without the camp fire close by and she had the feeling that if it weren't so dark she would be able to see her breath. “Let's make this quick,” she muttered to herself in an effort to distract from the cold. “Gah, I feel so gross. I can't wait for a real bath.” She kept her eyes on the distant light of the fire as she finished up. As she made to leave, however, another light caught her attention. It was slightly to the right and behind her, causing the trees around her to shimmer a soft green. Her body stiffened with apprehension as she quickly turned around to see who or what was intruding on her.

Coraline gazed curiously at the floating green orb. It looked like a little ball of smokey fire, about the size of a softball and it was hovering at eye level with her. Just as she opened her mouth to call for Ralston the little orb flashed red once and then returned to green. Coraline could no longer feel her own body. Now she was starting to panic. She tried again to call for help, but instead her mouth closed of it's own accord. She couldn't take her eyes away from the swirling light as it pulsated and danced in front of her face.

Slowly it began to retreat away, further into the woods. To the young woman's horror, her feet began to follow it. Try as she might, her legs carried her deeper into the trees and away from the safety of camp. Away from help.

 

oOoOoOo

 

Nearly five minutes passed before Ralston stopped tossing the pebble up in the air. His invented game to while away the hours had ceased being fun a long time ago, but he had wanted something to keep his hands busy. As he looked around their camp and the other sleeping faces he noticed that the human girl wasn't back yet. 'Surely she's had enough time to finish and return,' he thought to himself with a frown. He sat up a little straighter and flexed his ears, straining them to pick up on the subtle sounds of the surrounding forest but he couldn't detect any noise that might have originated from the girl. He jumped to his feet and quickly walked around the fire to the portion of the treeline that Coraline had taken and tried to listen harder. Part of him worried about invading the girl's privacy... but he couldn't hear _anything_ from her. He cursed his inattention, knowing he should have noticed something was wrong sooner.

“Damn,” he whispered in frustration. “I warned her not to go far!” He thought about going in after her himself but that would leave no one to keep watch at camp. Thinking quickly he walked back to the other side of the fire where Sereno was still sleeping peacefully. Without hesitating he nudged the other man firmly in the side with his boot.

Sereno grunted and blinked rapidly, cringing as he sat up, “My shift already?” He asked before breaking out into a yawn.

“Coraline is missing.”

The man was on his feet in the blink of an eye. All traces of sleep were gone from his face as he worriedly scanned the camp only to confirm what the elf had told him. “Where did she go?” He fought to keep his voice under control but his concern was shading his tone with anger.

“She went to go relieve her bladder... but that's been some minutes ago and I cannot hear her. I figured you would be best to go after her in case she wasn't decent and I'm only being paranoid,” the blond answered. He pointed to the spot in the trees where the young woman had disappeared through. “She went that way.”

“If I'm not back in ten minutes, wake everyone else up and assume the worst. Let's hope this is only a false alarm,” he said crisply as he quickly walked in the direction indicated.

 

oOoOoOo

 

She couldn't be sure how long she had been walking but it had to have been long enough now that her absence would be noticed. Despite it proving to be useless, Coraline continued to try and resist the force silencing her voice and controlling her legs. It appeared that the only part of herself that remained under her own will was her thoughts. She wasn't even able to blink, her eyes remaining open and fixed on the floating orb lighting her way. 'Oh come on! Someone come after me! Where are we even going? This can't end well... at least with the Other Mother I could move on my own!' Her thoughts were screaming inside her head, and as each second passed her worry only grew. 'If I survive this, I'm going to have to yell at those guys. They really should have mentioned that there were freakin' _body snatchers_ in the area. Wasn't Althea just bragging earlier about how well she knew the land? This is-'

Her inner ranting paused as she heard a splash. She still couldn't move her head or eyes but from her peripheral vision it appeared that she was now walking into a marsh. 'Oh great. This couldn't possibly get _any_ better,' she thought bitterly. The sounds of sloshing, frogs, and crickets were the only noise to accompany her frantic thoughts. Part of her was glad that she didn't have any feeling in her body at the moment, at least this way she wasn't cold and couldn't feel the water seeping into her clothes. 'I can't tell how deep it is, either,' she realized with dread. Stories of kelpies tricking travelers to their watery graves came to mind but she dismissed the idea almost as soon as it arrived. 'No, kelpies are horse things, aren't they? This is... a wisp! Will-o'-the-Wisp? Now I really wish I paid more attention to Wybie's rants about spooks and legends.'

Ahead of her she noticed a large tree with a wide hole in its trunk. The gnarled dark tree looked to be the wisp's destination. With a lump of worry solidifying in her stomach she noticed that the hollow at its center was just big enough for someone to fit through. Sure enough, a few more forced steps and she was being led through the dark hole and out of the marsh. As soon as she passed through the narrow gap her ears popped, a sensation not dissimilar to the times she had been on a plane and gone through the change in air pressure. With the pop came the realization that she could feel her limbs again. She blinked rapidly, her eyes stinging from the prolonged time forced to remain open. As she rubbed involuntary tears out of her vision she heard a ragged chuckle.

“ **My, what a pretty little thing my friend has brought me,** ” a hoarse voice commented from behind her.

Fear shot through her at the sentence, more intense than the dread that had been building the whole trip here. With a deep, steadying breath for courage, Coraline made herself turn around.

“ **I thought I smelled flesh, but I could have sworn I was mistaken. I'm now glad that I thought to investigate. What a treat, what a treat.** ” The creature standing in front of her looked mostly human in form, she noticed with a detached sort of intrigue. It was bipedal and had two arms, one mouth, and two dark hollow spaces where eyes might have been. It stood several inches taller than herself, although it slouched over a great deal, and it appeared to be made of moss and tree bark. Its thin knotted hand stretched out towards her as if to stroke her hair but she recoiled away from it. “ **Ah, of course, of course, how rude am I to try to be familiar when we are not familiar yet at all. Welcome to my most humble residence, thank you very kindly for joining me.** ” It gestured with its other hand towards their surroundings.

Coraline glanced around quickly, hesitant to take her eyes off the being for too long. The walls did indeed look like what the inside of a tree might, but the space was several times bigger than what any normal trunk would allow. Above them a round chandelier like object glowed with more of the green flame that lead her here, providing the illumination to the creature's home. A low table seemed to grow directly from the wall on one end of the circular space and across from it was a raised rectangle covered in moss and leaves –a bed perhaps? “ **Oh, but I was not really expecting company, I should have done something more to the place before you got here. I am sure you are not the least impressed,** ” it said, sounding miffed with itself. Her eyes darted back to the creature and it raised its long arms above its head then brought them back down in a swooping motion. The green light above them flashed to red and then to orange briefly before settling back into its original state. The room around them now looked like an old fashioned log cabin or country cottage.

The walls were the same as before but now the interior would have felt quaint and inviting were the circumstances different. The slab was now a four post little cot, with pillows and a checkered quilt and the jutted wood from before was now distinctly a table of dark polished wood, with two matching chairs pulled back from it. Between the bed and the table there was now a blazing fireplace complete with an overhanging mantle, decorated with various stones that shimmered from the green flames within it. In front of the fireplace was a fur rug, but what the animal had been before becoming decoration, Coraline couldn't guess.

“ **There, much much nicer, I do believe. Wont you have a seat? Warm and dry yourself by the fire? I am afraid there isn't much help but to get wet when one lives in a bog. But no, there's no need to stay wet, dear,** ” it said graciously as it pointed to the flames across from them. “ **It has been a terribly long time since I have had the pleasure of hosting.** ”

Coraline could think of nothing to say. She wasn't sure what to make of the creature's prattling but had long since learned not to be fooled by seemingly good hospitality. 'Even with the Other World, I at least initially had a choice in entering or not. I don't even see a door! He must have vanished it the moment I came in.' She watched the mysterious being as it shuffled past her with a limp and took one of the newly materialized chairs and scooted it closer to the fire. “No, thank you. I... I'd rather go back to my friends now, if it's all the same to you.”

It looked back at her with a sudden, otherworldly speed, the joints in its neck popping loudly in the process. A shiver ran through her and she regretted ever opening her mouth. She regretted ever getting up to start with, by this point. “ **But you have only just arrived! Come and sit, come and sit, come and sit. _ **We**_ could be friends, you know, then you wouldn't have to go back to any other ones.** ”

“I... think I'll j-just stay standing,” she managed to answer.

“ **But look how you shiver. Come by the fire, wont you? It is much warmer here than there and your nice pretty dress is all wet.** ”

Coraline spared a glance down at herself. She could hardly call the garment she wore pretty anymore, now that marsh water was added to the mud and dirt. When she looked back up she had to fight down a scream. The creature was right in front of her now and she hadn't even heard it move. She backed away from it quickly and collided with the rough wall. So the opening _was_ gone and not just hidden. That revelation made her shiver harder as she tried not to panic. 'If no one knows where to find me and can't come for me, how am I ever going to get out of here?' Since it didn't look like help would be coming any time soon, Coraline resolved to try and buy herself some time to think of a proper plan to escape. Since the creature was making no move to try and touch her again but instead only stood looming over her, she inched left to side step it.

It turned to watch her curiously as she moved around its bulk and walked over to the previously offered chair. She never took her eyes off the hunched figure as she made her way across the room and eased herself down into the seat. This action seemed to please the creature greatly and it followed, snagging the other chair for itself and sitting down across from her by the fire. It was admittedly warmer over here, even if it was a magic fire that bore an unsettling resemblance to the flames conjured by the Beldame. At the reminder of the Other Mother she stilled nerves, reminding herself that she could handle this if she handled her. Right?

“ **It is a lovely night, isn't it?** ” The creature asked, its tone pleasant.

Coraline had to fight back a hysterical laugh. Was this thing making small talk? “Yes, it was,” she answered pointedly. Choosing to be bold, she asked it, “What's your name?”

“ **Ah, I have not had a name in a very very long time. I do not remember it. Names are an easy thing to lose when one has no one to tell them to** ,” it answered mildly. It shifted its chair a little closer to hers in a way that looked like it was trying to be subtle about the action. The creak of wood and the scratching of the chairs legs against the floor filled the quiet room. “ **What is** _ **your**_ **name? You are much younger, I would think. You do not smell old, and so you very probably still have one. I should like to know it**.”

Coraline briefly debated how to answer. She remembered how Sereno had refused to give his real name back home because he did not want the Beldame to overhear. He had also said that he and she were two different sorts of beings and implied that her name was safe, but was it because she had no magic or was it because she was from Earth? How did that sort of thing work? “I don't think it would be very fair to give my name, if I can't have yours– I mean, if you can't give yours. Why should _I_ be the only one to have a name here?” She gave herself a mental pat on the back for the quick save. Then, to try and change the subject so it wouldn't press, “What do you mean I don't _smell old_?”

The creature looked irritated at her dodge, and made a disgruntled noise that sounded more like someone stepping on a squeaky wooden staircase. But it answered, “ **One cannot measure age by looks anymore. Your flesh smells fresh and vibrant still. Not the steady smell of elves, like mountains they are, meant to last. Not the enduring musk of those lucky enough to take after trees, either, ages and ages they can go. You smell like a flower freshly bloomed, young and un-wilted. And I should like to know your name, little flower, never mind fairness**.”

Coraline was of half a mind to comment that going two days without a proper shower probably made her smell anything but like a flower, maybe more like a fungus. Before she could reply at all, the creature continued, “ **I was a flower myself, once, many many many years ago. So, little flower, you should use your name now, and often, so you do not lose it like I mine.** ”

The implication of the thing's words were unsettling in more ways than one. Since it was continuing to persist, Coraline decided to take a page out of Sereno's book and give a nickname, where he had gone by Cat, she answered, “Jonsey.”

“ **Jonsey? I have never heard that name before. It is very nice. I like the way it bounces,** ” the creature answered with a smile, seeming very pleased to have gotten its way in the matter.

Coraline wished she had thought of another name to give it, hearing Wybie's childhood nickname for her spoken from such a raspy voice did not sit well. But she maintained the belief that it was better than the thing knowing her real name. Still, it felt wrong to hear the endearment in such a setting. The creature leaned forward in its chair, closing in on her personal space once more. “ **And where do you come from Jonsey? You do not carry the feel of a local, no. Like a waterlily on a high cliff, completely out of place.** ”

“Where do _you_ come from?” Although it was another attempt to avoid divulging personal information, she was genuinely curious of the answer.

“ **I... I am not sure. Far from here, I know. It was a lovely place. I only came here after I died** ,” it said slowly, as if the process of recalling the information was strenuous. “ **I and my siblings roamed the hills in days of old, and danced among the lily rows, and planted flowers in the dale and sang of spring and of winters pale,** ” its raspy voice took on a wistful sing-song quality, “ **We tended all the roots and leaves, and knew each name of all the trees. Each spring we worked, and each autumn we slept and though the winter we'd bide. And all the rivers would reflect our joys and all the petals, our pride. The days were short and the nights were long, in the summers before I was grown.**

**Then it changed, I know not why, the sun no longer told the time; yes it rose, and yes it set, but nothing ever paid the debt. And we grew tired but could not rest and roamed the land with mounting distress. Others, we knew, could feel it too, but for them there was never such a toll, than there was for us, who were never meant to be so old. And days passed by longer and leaner and we were forced to stay, to linger. Some found an end, though not in our nature, and left the world at last. But I, I tried to find a different way, for in my heart I was afraid, and to this day it's true. For death brings rest, and quiet closure or so we all assume... But when I escaped and reclaimed my right age, death was not my friend. Is this then death, to stretch and go on forever? To wish for peace but to wake and repeat every year and every summer?** ”

Coraline wasn't sure what to say. The creature sounded so sad, and though she was still leery of it and was still largely concerned for her current well being, she couldn't help but to feel a little sorry for the thing. She couldn't make much sense of the story it told but it was clear that whatever it was, or whatever it used to be, it was tired and lonely. “I... I'm sorry,” she told it softly.

The creature straightened back up, looking perplexed. Then its demeanor changed back to the slightly jovial mood in which she had first met it, shaking off the somber trance-like state her question had sparked. “ **Well, no need to be sorry. No, no, not now! Things are better now. Friends make even the worst of fates brighter. I had lost all of my friends long ago, but now I have a new one. A sweet little lily to make the days feel short again.** ”

“Er...” Coraline's sense of dread was beginning to grow again. “I'm really sorry, but- but I can't stay,” she tried to explain. She knew that the creature wasn't likely to listen to her but she felt the need to try, anyway. “My friends are probably really worried about me right now and I should really get back to them.”

“ **But,** _ **I**_ **could be your friend,** ” it insisted, seeming to pout.

The human girl was finding it hard to remain optimistic. How was she suppose to convince it to let her leave?

Just as she was about to try a different approach she heard a familiar voice calling for her, “Coraline!” The young woman sprang to her feet in sheer excitement, relief filling her chest.

“Sereno! If you can hear me, I'm in here! The tree with the h-” her voice cut off and once again she could not feel her body or control her movements. She watched, frustrated and powerless, as her body sat itself back down into the chair.

“ **No,** ” the creature hissed forcefully.

But it was already too late. Sereno burst out of the wall behind them, dagger drawn and blue eyes wild. “Are you o-” his body froze and his sentence cut off.

“ **I said** _ **no,**_ **treeling. Why come here?** _ **You**_ **do not need her,** ” Coraline's captor spat angrily. It drew itself up to full height and stalked towards the dryad.

With its attention off of her, Coraline realized that she could feel her limbs again. Her arms and legs were heavy and tingly, and her body felt like it was in slow motion but she was able to force herself to her feet. While the creature's back was turned she did the only thing she could think of to help her friend. She picked up the chair she had been using and threw it at the dark, moss covered back.

The thing screeched and turned back around to her in surprise and agitation. It was just the opening that Sereno needed. With its focus elsewhere he was able to break his own bind and spring back into action. He wasted no time in leaping forward and in one swift, fluid motion he removed the creature's head from its shoulders.

The very air itself seemed to shudder.

There was a soft sigh and the green light around them faded out to darkness. In its place, a soft golden light floated up from the fallen body on the floor. Coraline gasped to see a beautiful woman now hovering in the center of the room. Her skin was rough and looked like she was made of tree bark, her long hair flowed like vines down her back and in it flowers grew. What were once sunken, empty eye holes were now two bright pools of light. The woman blinked a few times and looked confused, then she looked down and a radiant smile split her face.

She laughed, and her voice was a ringing tinkle, like water bouncing off of tin. She looked over to Coraline then back to Sereno, “ _I am sorry,_ ” she said sadly. “ _Thank you._ ”

Then Coraline could hear other voices, with the same wispy sort of quality that the woman had. “ _Laelia! Laelia! What is keeping you? Come join us, sister!_ ”

“ _Laelia,_ ” the glowing woman whispered in awe. She twirled in place in the air and on the gentle wind created, Coraline thought she could smell flowers. “ _Yes, that is my name!_ ” With another little laugh she abruptly vanished.

As soon as the light went out there was a rushing sound, like air proceeding the slamming of a door. Coraline felt her ears pop again at the change in pressure and found herself being pushed forward by the wall at her back that suddenly seemed to be shrinking. In a half of a second she was slammed into Sereno's chest, in a second more the two were squished together in the hallow of an ordinary tree. The sun was rising as they carefully managed to climb out of the tight fit.

“What on earth was _that_?” Coraline asked with a shaky, nervous laugh as she felt the adrenaline that had been fueling her leave her body in an unsteady rush. Her arms and legs were trembling as she took stock of their surroundings. They were still in a marsh but the little island of land was now covered in flowers.

Sereno scooped her up into his arms and buried his face in the hollow of her neck. He inhaled deeply, as if to gain his composure, then met her gaze. “That was a nymph,” he answered. He sighed sadly, “Although she was very old and quite clearly insane.”

“She was sad and lonely, too,” Coraline observed. “And under all that moss and junk, I really thought she was a guy. You couldn't really tell by the voice. So... did you free her, or something? Was she cursed?”

Her friend's face was grim as he looked down at her in the pale morning sun. “I killed her,” he answered honestly.

“I think that was what she wanted, really,” the young woman answered soberly. She smiled a little sadly and looked back down at all the flowers. “She looked so happy right before she left.”

“She did?” Her friend sounded very confused.

“Yeah, didn't you see her face before her siblings called her away?” Sereno's brow raised and he shook his head no. “Oh, I guess it's another thing with my new magic? Didn't you at least hear her thank you?” He shook his head again. “Well, she did. She was very lovely, too. When she first brought me here she didn't remember her name, but after you killed her, she did. Her name was Laelia.”

Sereno looked a little heartbroken at her explanation but he nodded and hugged her closer to him. He then leaned down and kissed her forehead, “I see.” He adjusted his hold and began walking them back to the others. “I'm glad she found peace.”

Coraline nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. Despite not getting a good night's sleep, she was ready to start walking again. As soon as they got back to camp she would be more than happy to get back on the move. She was more than ready to get out of this forest.

 

 


	11. Uncertainty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coraline works to come to terms with all that has happened over the past few days.

“It’s a hard thing to explain to somebody who hasn’t felt it, but the presence of death and danger has a way of bringing you fully awake. It makes things vivid. When you’re afraid, really afraid, you see things you never saw before, you pay attention to the world.” – Tim O'Brien

 

As soon as Sereno stepped back into the camp, the two friends were nearly tackled by Tamara. The Seer pulled the young woman from the dryad's arms and embraced her fiercely. “I am _so sorry_ that I was asleep when you needed me! If I had been awake I probably would have prevented that!”

“So, you know what happened?” Coraline asked as she awkwardly managed to return the hug.

“Mostly,” the woman answered with a nod. “I only caught glimpses, after Ralston woke me up. But that thing looked totally ghastly! I don't think I could have been nearly as composed as you where.”

Coraline gave a weak chuckle, “Well, I guess depending on how you look at it, I've seen worse. And she was actually really pretty once her soul was free and she was able to move on. So, that said, I'm kind of glad you weren't awake or else she would still be suffering.”

Tamara looked perplexed but Ealhdun spoke before her, “What happened?”

After she had been seated back down by the still burning fire, Coraline recounted the events of her unplanned adventure. She took her time and tried her best to remember Laelia's exact words. After she finished, the mood around the camp went from one of relief to one of contemplative quiet. “Well,” Ralston said after the moment of silence had dragged on for a little too long, “I'm grateful that everything worked out in the end. I'm sorry that I didn't notice your disappearance sooner. I know you say you're happy to have unintentionally helped the nymph, but, still... it was not your place to have had to do that.”

“Eh,” the young woman shrugged uncertainly. Honestly, she still wasn't sure how she felt about the whole ordeal. She hadn't been given near enough time to properly process the situation. Mostly she was just glad it was over. She was also glad to be near the fire again. Her damp dress was really making itself known now that her brain wasn't preoccupied by fear. As much as she would have loved to just curled up in front of the inviting flames and take a nap, she changed the topic, “When are we leaving?”

Marion gave a short laugh of surprise at her candidness before answering, “We shall be departing shortly.”

“After breakfast,” Althea agreed from her pallet on the forest floor.

 

oOoOoOo

 

It had taken them twenty minutes to get back onto the main road. Once there, the pace was set to a steady but maintainable stride. The wide, well worn path through the trees made for much easier travel and by the time the sun began setting across the sky they had covered an impressive distance.

“We'll be out of the forest well before noon tomorrow,” Althea commented as Ralston gently sat her down. He had insisted on carrying her and she had given in with much the same lack of grace as she had when Ealhdun had made the offer earlier.

“Tomorrow, if we walk for a little longer after the sun sets we could stop by the Blathnaid Estate. The property is midway between Grünfläche Wald and Osterledge,” Dawn remarked cheerfully as she set down her pack. “The terrain would be much easier to navigate by then and we could travel by night without much trouble. I'm very sure the family would be willing to put us up for the evening.”

“You're the princess, why wouldn't they,” Coraline asked. Dawn only gave a small, knowing grin and nodded. Coraline was extraordinarily pleased at the idea of sleeping under a roof as well as the unspoken promise of a bath. The added possibility of new clothes was just icing on the cake. The thought was enough to bring an honest smile to her face, something physical exhaustion had made difficult over the last few miles.

As Marion and Ealhdun began stringing up the tarps, Dawn turned Ralston into his canine form upon his request – he insisted that he hunted better with four legs and his nose rather than two legs and his ears. Tamara set to changing Althea's makeshift bandages and that left Coraline and Sereno to start gathering up firewood. The dryad had been keeping close to her all day and she had caught him several times giving her worried glances.

As they wandered a little ways farther from the new campsite he noticed almost immediately when her shoulders started to sag and her footsteps slowed. “Are you alright?” He asked softly, turning from the task to give her his full attention.

“I'm alright, I guess,” she answered, although her tone suggested otherwise. She looked up at him in the twilight and his eyes were so full of worry that it nearly broke her resolve. “I'm just tired.”

Sereno set his arm load down and closed the distance between them in order to run a hand through her hair. He brushed her dark bangs out of her face, “How many years have I known you now, Coraline? Even when I was a cat you never hesitated to vent to me.”

She chuckled softly, “Yeah, but that was when you were cute and fluffy and couldn't say anything back.”

He smirked and tried to lighten her mood, “Are you saying that I'm no longer cute? And, I should think you'd be happy to hear feedback for a change.”

She gave a genuine smile at his teasing, “No, you're not cute anymore, sorry.” Then she sighed and met his blue eyes again, “And... I don't know. Things just feel heavier now and I'm not sure how I'm suppose to feel about it. Several people died yesterday, and I know one of them was grateful for the fact but... I don't know. I try to put everything in perspective to what all we did eight years ago and it just doesn't feel right to reason like that. I tell myself that if I could k-... cause the death of the Beldame and be mostly okay with it, why should I feel any different now?”

Sereno took the small bundle of sticks out of her arms and put them beside his own pile on the ground before drawing her into a sudden hug. He tucked her head against his shoulder and rubbed his cheek against her hair. “First of all, I once told you that you and I are different sorts of creatures,”

“Heh, it's funny you should bring that up, I was just thinking about it when Laelia was still in crazy mode and asking me for my name,” she interjected as she returned his hug full force.

He bopped the top of her head playfully, “Don't interrupt, this is important.” He pulled back from her marginally and placed his hand to the side of her face, “I am thousands of years old. I am desensitized to this sort of life. You are not and should never be used to death. Of course you're upset; you can be and you have the right to be. One of the traits I have admired about you since the first few months in your company is that you are so untainted. Despite the horrors you have seen you are bright and optimistic and somehow have remained mostly innocent. No one expects you to shrug off the things you are going through now. You are strong, but you are not alone in this and do not have to be unshakable about any of this. I would rather you talk to me and unload than to bottle things up and become jaded.”

Tears began to shimmer in her brown eyes and with a quiet sniffle she buried her face into his shoulder again. “I'm just, I'm just tired. And I was so afraid last night, or this morning, or whenever the heck it was, before you came. I know I told Tamara that I was glad she was asleep and that it did happen, but I think it's mostly from hindsight. What if you hadn't of come? I didn't know if I was going to be able t-to talk h-her into letting me go and it's not like I could have physically fought her off. And, and I feel so stupid for letting it happen in the first place. I shouldn't have gone so far away from camp,” she took a deep and shaky breath before continuing, “And about the time before... even if I didn't see them die or even see the bodies, it kind of creeps me out to know that you guys can just straight up kill people. Even though I _know_ it was self-defense, it just... it just sits really heavy in my stomach.”

Sereno kissed the top of her head. “You are _far_ from stupid. Sure, you can be impulsive at times but that has nothing to do with intelligence. If anyone is responsible for the events of this morning it is Ralston for not paying more attention and the nymph herself for sending that Wisp to capture you. Honestly, we haven't been very good travel companions. There is so much information we simply forget to tell you because here it's just common knowledge.

About the deaths... I am sorry that it can't be helped. That is the nature of war, unfortunately. Also, you shouldn't compare these events to the Beldame. While we are on the subject of _her_ , she may as well have killed herself. You can't take the blame for that, and honestly, your inadvertent interference did more good back then than I even fully recognized at the time. You freed three souls that I hadn't even known were unable to pass on. Just as much good done as the recently freed Laelia.” He smiled, “If you had not of wandered into my assignment all those years ago, those souls would have been trapped. So don't let that witch's fate burden your conscience.”

He rubbed her back soothingly as she continued to cling to him, “I realize this is all hard for you but you have such an inner strength, Coraline. Never forget that. I may not be able to change the circumstances of this little venture, but I promise to be here for you until we can send you home again. I am your friend and if you ever need to talk, I will listen. You have long since earned my respect and I will aid you where I can.”

“Thanks,” she said softly into the juncture of his neck and shoulder.

He smiled gently and gave her a final squeeze. “Not a problem. Now, we should probably be heading back soon. It's getting dark and I'm sure Marion would like a sustained fire instead of a conjured one when his bother comes back with dinner.” He bent down and picked up his arm full of sticks. It didn't escape her notice that he picked up a substantial portion from her own pile.

Coraline quickly wiped her face and nodded. “Wouldn't want them to worry we've gone missing again.”

The two got back to camp at the same time as Ralston who bounded in from the other side of the small company. His tail was wagging proudly and in his mouth was a large bird of some kind. The fowl was almost as big as he was.

“Looks like we came back just in time,” Sereno commented with a grin.

“Eh, I don't know. We probably could have waited a few more minutes. Give them time to clean it,”

“Give me that,” Marion said in exasperation as he took the dead bird from his brother. As Coraline dumped her pile into the designated area, the silver-haired elf shot a spark at it before heading off to prepare their food.

The night wore on in companionable peace. Coraline didn't know if it was her mood or theirs but the night felt less oppressive than it had the day before. She was grateful that Sereno had made her talk to him. While she didn't feel completely better, her heart felt a little lighter.

 

oOoOoOo

 

Marion was in the lead with his hand held up and illuminating the road with a small ball of orange fire hovering above his palm. He had waited until the sun had completely set before calling it out and kept it just large enough to see by to maintain both it and his walking pace.

“Isn't you're arm getting tired?” Coraline asked after a few minutes.

“Not yet, no,” he replied with nonchalance. “Besides, we haven't got much more to go. We should be coming up on the road to the estate any minute now.”

“Thank the heavens,” Ealhdun said tiredly in open relief. He had been limping heavier over the past few hours.

“Seconded,” Tamara called from the back of the group.

It had been a long day but the prospect of a proper meal and clean bedding kept them all steadily pushing forward. They had filled the time by taking turns telling Coraline about the different possible hazards and rules to keep in mind about their world. Sereno was making good on his word to better prepare her for the different events and creatures they were likely to come across on their journey. It was a nice way to pass the time and the human girl gained a little more peace of mind to be learning important information.

“Ah, here we are,” Marion announced brightly as he quickened his steps. A short ways ahead of them the road split and the wide path they were on branched off to a narrower road that was neatly paved with flat stones. “Not much longer now.” The next few minutes were the longest stint of time Coraline could ever remember, second only to the seven hour road-trip she had been suckered into last year. It was as if knowing the destination was finally within grasp made time itself slow down for spite. When large willow trees came into view, framing the road and obscuring faint light beyond them, the young woman thought she might burst into tears from relief.

Marion extinguished his small fire with a quick snap of the wrist and gratefully lowered his arm. Dawn closed the distance between herself and the elf so as to be at the head of the group. Within two minutes the tired and road worn crew were standing on a wide wooden porch while the princess knocked on the door. By the moon's pale light Coraline had tried to study the huge manor as they approached. From it's silhouette it reminded her of the large plantation homes seen in the south eastern states like Georgia and the Carolinas, with large pillars framing it's two story bulk. It would probably be very beautiful and impressive by the light of day. At the moment, though, she didn't really care. She was far more concerned with whether or not she would be getting a chance to scrub herself clean tonight.

The door opened after the third knock and a round faced elf in a grey night dress greeted them. Her dark purple eyes widened in shock when she took in the sight of the small company standing awkwardly in front of her house. “May I help you?”

“We were hoping to buy rooms for the night. I know your estate is not an inn but we're in a rather unconventional situation,” Marion told her with practiced civility.

“My mother, queen Morgana, will assure that you are nicely compensated later if our funds don't meet the price you feel is needed for the trouble,” Dawn spoke quickly, not giving the woman a chance to reply.

The homeowner gave a startled laugh and then leaned out the door to get a better look. “My, is that you, Dawn? Who knew it was possible but you actually look dirtier _now_ than the last time I saw you.” Coraline's jaw dropped at the woman's audacity but the princess only laughed and leaned in for a hug, all pretense at formalities forgotten.

“Sorry to drop in on you like this,” the redhead replied tiredly. Then the princess noticed the looks of confusion being directed her way. Althea and Tamara seemed to be the only ones who didn't look surprised or suspicious. “Mrs. Blathnaid, you remember my friends, Tammy and Al,” she said while motioning towards the two women. “These are the brothers I mentioned to you once, Marion and Ralston,” she pointed to them in turn. “This is Sereno and Coraline, and that man in back is the Duke of Thistle Edge.”

“I feel like I'm missing something,” Coraline whispered to her friend as she watched the informal introductions. Sereno nodded but the half smirk tugging at his lips hinted that this was a side of the mage he knew to expect.

“Well, there's a story behind this, I'm sure. Come in, and you can tell me about it later. I suspect you're all hungry, too? I can only guess you've _walked_ the whole way here, going from your looks and smell. That couldn't have been fun. So, the first order of business will be the washing up. I'll go and wake Fionn and let him know we have company. Dawn, you know your way around, show your friends to the closest washrooms and I'll have Agni reheat some of tonight's dinner for you all.”

“That was...unexpected,” Ealhdun commented as he shut the front door behind him. Coraline couldn't help but to agree.

 

oOoOoOo

 

Kalin and her husband, Fionn, proved to be most gracious and accommodating hosts. Over a late dinner Coraline learned that they lived on the property with only an older elf, Agni, for company and help for managing the grounds. The couple owned a large apple orchard, of which many of the dishes they ate that night could be traced back to, and Coraline wondered how and why it was that only three people seemed to live on such a large property. She felt it might be rude to ask and so kept the observation to herself.

Instead, the chat over super consisted of recounting how they had come to be there followed by an explanation of how Dawn seemed on such friendly terms with the homeowners. While Marion and Ralston laughed at the anecdote– apparently one of many of the princess' wayward adventures of years past– Coraline found it a little anti-climatic and decided that it was probably a, 'you had to have been there' moment.

After they had been fed and given new clothes, the weary group had been shown to rooms on the upper floor that were well furnished and inviting. After being bidden a pleasant goodnight by the homeowners, the eight of them said their own separate pleasantries with a promise to be back up bright and early for a much anticipated breakfast.

Thoughts of going back on the road were the farthest thing from her mind when Coraline flopped onto the loaned bed. The quilt smelled a little musty, as if the room hadn't been used in a very long time, but she couldn't care less. With a relieved sigh that bordered on being a moan of pleasure, she buried her face into the provided pillow. She stretched her legs and listened with satisfaction as every joint from hip to toe popped then gratefully rolled under the blanket, cocooning herself with a hum of satisfaction. Within seconds she drifted to sleep.

_It was cold. Darkness surrounded her and little creatures scurried around and crawled across her legs. They left an unpleasant tingle in their wake. All around her she could perceive thousands of legs, hundreds of eyes and two painfully constricting arms. The freezing claws bore down on her shoulders, holding her in place. She couldn’t get away as the rasp of scraping metal and the must of old, disused air filled her senses._

_Her voice was gone. She tried to scream, to call for help. But who would find her here? She was alone with the monster._

_Her throat tightened as again she fought to make a sound, any sort of shout. Someone had to hear her, someone would surely come for her. It was becoming harder to breath. Then, there was a prick against the side of her brow before icy, bone-like fingers covered her eyes._

_With a jerk she pulled free but when she looked around a green light lit the inside of a tree and an impossibly large, dark figure sat by a green fire with black eyes that bore into hers and a grin that stretched unnaturally from ear to ear._

“Coraline,” someone was whispering her name gently and firmly shaking her shoulder.

The young woman shot bolt upright in a flash, her heart pounding erratically against her chest. It took a moment longer to realize where she was. Moonlight was streaming into the modestly furnished room that she had been given and Sereno was sitting worriedly on the edge of the bed. “Are you okay?” He asked as he brushed her tangled hair out of her face. “Tamara came and woke me, she said she could hear you crying and needed waking up from nightmares.”

The woman in question stood in the open doorway, reluctant to intrude. “I would have woken you up myself,” she whispered with a soft smile. “But I didn't know if you're the type to lash out and I figured Sereno could take it better if you threw a punch.”

Coraline laughed a little brokenly and nodded her gratitude to the other woman. “Thanks. It was just a bad dream, I'm alright now. Probably a side effect of going straight to sleep on a full stomach,” she said as she rubbed lingering tears off of her cheeks.

Even in the dim light, Coraline was able to see when Tamara's eyes flashed from her power. The woman smiled more sincerely then nodded, “Probably. I'm just glad you're alright. I have it on good authority –my own– that you're going to have good dreams for the rest of the night. I'll let you get back to sleep. Goodnight Coraline, Sereno.” With that she left the two alone.

Sereno still looked a little concerned but he patted her hand and made to stand back up. “Wait,” she stopped him. Despite the elven woman's reassurance, the memories of her nightmares were still fresh in her mind. He sat back down but suddenly she didn't know what to say. She didn't want him to leave so soon, but she didn't want to look like a child who was afraid of the dark, either. Thankfully, he seemed to understand her silent plea and merely scooted her over and made himself comfortable more fully on the bed, resting against the headboard so that they sat side by side.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked as he absently started running his fingers through her hair in a soothing rhythm.

She shrugged against him. “It was just... the Other Mother but I think I had lost and she was... about to sew the buttons, but then I was suddenly back in the tree. And she looked even worse than I remember her being. Larger but still dead looking with hollow eyes. Why is it always their eyes?” Sereno answered with a nonverbal hum and drew her into a half hug with his free hand. She latched onto the invitation without hesitation and threw both arms around his torso. “I've not had a nightmare in years.”

“You used to have them often,” he commented. “After everything, it really isn't surprising that they might suddenly come back.”

“Luckily, you're just as good as comforting like this as you were as a cat. Except for maybe I kind of miss your purring. Is that weird to say?”

Her friend only laughed and continued to stroke her hair. “Well, if it helps, I know how to sound like I'm purring even when I'm not a cat. Years of going back and forth I think my vocal cords have been conditioned.” Without further elaboration, a familiar thrum met her ears and she giggled tiredly.

“Well that's cool,” she told him as she snuggled back down into the bedding and fluffing her pillow. “I don't want to be a pain, you can go back to your bed now, if you want. I think I'll be okay now. It was just a dream.”

Instead of getting up, Sereno shifted and settled more comfortably on the bed. “I'll stay until I'm sure I wont have to come and wake you back up again.”

“Tamara said I was going to have good dreams for the rest of the night,” she reminded.

“Probably because I'm going to stay here to make sure of it,” he told her with a shrug. “We both have a long day tomorrow, best get the best sleep we can while we can. Besides, it's not like we haven't been sleeping together for the past several nights.”

She snorted at the possible double entendre but conceded the point. “Whatever,” she answered but it came out more as a yawn. With her friend's warm, solid weight beside her and his purr working as a familiar white-noise, Coraline was soon fast asleep again. As Tamara predicted, her dreams after that were untroubled.

 


	12. The Long Road Ahead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next leg of the journey takes an unexpected twist

“ _Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise.” –_ Horace

 

Coraline let out a small moan of pleasure as she sank lower into the hot water. The porcelain tub was deep and the water came up to her shoulders when she reclined. With lazy eyes she watched the steam swirl up as she allowed herself relax, letting go of the tension that had lingered in her muscles for the past few days. She caught the aroma of breakfast being prepared from elsewhere in the house and her stomach gave a rumble in anticipation. Unlike her first morning in this world it smelled like bacon was on the menu today. She smiled and ducked her head under the water to rinse her hair before making herself get out of the tub. She would sit in there all morning if she wasn't careful.

Of the fresh clothes laid out for her the green shirt was a little too big and the tan pants a little too long but she was grateful to have them. She rolled the legs up so as not to trip over them and strolled barefoot out of the washroom. Sereno was waiting for her out in the hall. He too had helped himself to another bath and was sporting new clothes. “Good morning,” he greeted as he extended his arm to her.

She smirked and looped her arm with his and returned the greeting. “Thanks for letting me sleep in a little,” she added. She had been somewhat surprised to find that she was the last to get up that morning but she couldn't say she was sorry about it.

When the two of them made it down the stairs to the dinning room everyone else of their group had already claimed a seat at the table. There were two open chairs near the doorway and she and Sereno helped themselves to them. The spread before them looked even better than the meal that had been served to them in Green Room back at the castle. Trays overflowed with fruits, eggs, ham and bacon. Coraline's mouth watered instantly and she couldn't recall a time that something had looked more delicious. She had been too hungry last night to really appreciate the food that flew past her lips but now she could sit and fully enjoy the sweet and savory flavors.

As everyone helped themselves, talk at the table soon turned again to future planning and strategies, a topic that Coraline had well grown used to. She only paid the conversation half an ear, too preoccupied with committing every taste to memory. She was happy to overhear that Kalin insisted on sending them on their way with several bags worth of extra food. Not that they had been starving, per se, but it would be nice to have one less thing to worry over.

“Why aren't you wearing shoes?” Ralston leaned over a little to ask her. He was clearly amused by her nonconformity.

The main reason had been that stopping by her room to get them would have taken time away from coming straight to breakfast but she answered, “Because why not?”

“Because it isn't proper etiquette, I suppose,” he answered with a wide grin.

“I don't think I've ever been proper about anything,” she replied with a flippant grin of her own. “Besides, it's nice to have a chance to stretch out my poor, abused toes. I'll go comply with dress-code right after I'm done eating.”

He gave her hair a fond and playful ruffle while nodding, “I suppose that's fair.”

Coraline patted her still damp bangs back out of her eyes without a second thought. In the span of four days it appeared that she'd somehow become an honorary sibling to the cheerful elf. In line with her interactions with Wybie– who was also an honorary sibling to her– she snatched a piece of fruit off the blond's plate in retaliation for mussing her hair.

He seemed startled at first but then his grin returned full force and his eyes danced with mischief. He waited just until she had the stolen bite right at her mouth before jostling her elbow which caused her to miss and drop the fruit to the floor. Before she could strike back Marion reached across his brother and lightly smacked them both on the hands, “Settle down now, children.” Despite the half-hearted reprimand it was clear he was trying not to smile.

Without missing a beat, they both stuck out their tongues in the other elf's direction but he primly ignored them. However, his point had been made and the pair went back to their respective meals. Coraline glanced to her left and Sereno gave her an indulgent wink but said nothing in regards to her antics.

Two hours after breakfast had ended they were all on the road again. The small interlude at the estate hadn't felt nearly long enough to Coraline but she could understand Dawn's eagerness to finally get this leg of their journey behind them. So, without complaint she donned the new socks and boots she'd been gifted, hefted a satchel packed with food across her shoulder, and fell in line with the rest of the group. With her stomach full and the twice-damned slippers disposed of, she actually felt prepared to face the day.

Naturally, that's when things decided to get more complicated.

 

oOoOoOo

 

“Sire, are you sure this will work?”

Adderrik looked away from the window and turned his attention to one of his chief advisers. The spell he had sent his men away with had not been tested. Others of its kind had existed in various capacities over the years but his people had the right to worry whether or not this one would preform as planned. The fae king shrugged his shoulders while rubbing his thumb and finger across his eyes in a tired gesture. “Honestly, I do not know. The chances of success are higher than with our last attempt and at this point I'm willing to try something new. We haven't got much time before the real bloodshed begins, this is a risk we need to take.”

“Nothing gambled nothing gained?” The older fae quipped sarcastically.

“As much as I detest leaving something so important to chance... yes, that is exactly my mentality,” Adderrik answered with an impatient huff. If his plan did work it had the potential to end the war in a matter of months rather than the years he knew Morgana had the ability to drag it on for. Tested or untested, he had to trust that the spell would do as intended and cause chaos among Princess Dawn's faction. It had the twofold possibility of giving him an additional gambit to his overall goals. If he could get his hands on either the Seer or the mysteriously gifted human girl, he was certain victory would be his in the end. Their abilities were not essential to winning this campaign but they could very well speed things up.

After a strained silence the adviser nodded his head, “I will trust your judgment.”

 

oOoOoOo

 

It all happened in the span of a few minutes. At first Coraline was walking amiably between Ralston and Tamara and then in the next instant the other woman's eyes flashed a tell-tale white. “Eight on horseback, approaching from the west,” she said with a startled voice. She shook her head then her brows furrowed. “We've got company and they're moving fast.”

Everyone stopped and in one accord made ready to fight. Coraline, Tamara and Althea where shuffled back behind the others– much to the injured naiad's disapproval– while the those remaining up front drew blades and turned to face the oncoming threat.

Not long after Tamara's warning the thunder of hooves could be heard in the distance. Soon, eight horses were riding into view. They were all of them large distances away from one another, as if they intended to circle around the group and block them in.

Without waiting for their mounted opponents to make the first move, Marion shot off a volley of soccer-ball sized flames. The nearest riders dodged his attacks deftly and the elf swore in frustration as he summoned more fire. The second round of flames managed to burst right in front of a leading mare which caused the horse to rear back suddenly, throwing its rider.

Despite being ushered out of the direct line of battle Althea was busy conjuring up violent winds around the perimeter of their group. The sudden gales stirred up dirt and debris and further slowed the riders. As they neared Coraline was able to see that they were all carrying what looked like large rope nets. This would have confused her more had it not been for the bright blue shimmering around each one. She wasn't keen on finding out what that color might equate to in magical potential. “Guys! There's some sort of spell or something on those nets!” She had to yell to be heard above the roar of Althea's winds.

In the end, her warning didn't make a difference. Weighted with stones to give them an aim, the first bundle of woven ropes hit Ralston and the elf promptly disappeared. Coraline gasped and jumped back instinctively, she looked around the mounting chaos to see if her friend had reappeared elsewhere but she didn't see him.

A second net came flying overhead and Tamara rushed forward to push her remaining brother out of its path. Unfortunately, Sereno had had the same idea and as Marion stumbled forward out of the way, he and Tamara collided and were both hit. Like Ralston, they both vanished.

“No!” Coraline's distressed cry did nothing to help and she felt utterly useless. They were out in the open with nowhere to run for cover and were swiftly being picked off.

Marion yelled in unbridled rage when he saw Tamara blink out of sight and at the loss of both her and his brother he charged ahead recklessly to attack the closest rider. Though the furious elf managed to stab his foe, he left himself in range of the enchanted netting and he too disappeared.

Dawn managed to dodge two different throws but as she grabbed for Althea to pull her out of the trajectory of another, she accidentally stepped backwards onto one that had harmlessly hit the ground. Apparently, the nets didn't have to cover a person fully to work because Dawn and Althea both vanished.

As the last fighter left, Ealhdun threw himself at Coraline to shield her from attack. Knowing it to be a futile effort, Coraline clung to the man regardless. She was terrified and sought comfort where she could. There was no way they would be able to escape. She closed her eyes tightly as soon as she saw the porous shadow overhead.

The world jerked, like having a rug pulled out from under one's feet. There was a sound of rushing water in the distance and Coraline felt extremely dizzy. After realizing she wasn't dead, nor had she been dumped in some hell dimension, the young woman cautiously opened her eyes.

Ealhdun straightened and also looked around as soon as he too registered the differences in their surroundings. He didn't immediately let go, but once it was obvious that they were alone he stepped out of her personal space. The fae gave a shaky sigh before sitting down on the ground, “That certainly didn't go well at all, did it?”

Coraline turned in a full circle to inspect the new environment. If she didn't know any better she would have thought she was back in Oregon. Tall trees crowded the rocky, uneven ground and the air smelled of the familiar scent of evergreens. “What the _heck_ just happened and _where_ in the world are we?”

“First of all, we didn't die, so there's a lucky start. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say this means our companions aren't dead either. Looks like the goal was just to divide us all up,” Ealhdun looked like he planned to remain sitting for a few minutes longer. He was rubbing his leg distractedly; likely the stress from the ambush had aggravated his wound. “As for where we are, I don't have any idea.”

Coraline looked down at the bag still slung over her shoulder. The buttons had held fast and it didn't appear that any food had fallen out. Well, at least they wouldn't immediately starve to death. “What should we do?”

The seated man grimaced and shrugged his shoulders. “If that's a waterfall I hear, I suggest we head for it and follow the water. It's as good a start as any and unless the bastards threw us onto the other side of the continent, we should eventually run into other people.”

The young woman nodded her head, relieved to have at least the bare bones of a plan to start with. She bit her bottom lip nervously and sat down across from Ealhdun, willing to let him rest and make the first indication of when they should head out. Having a short term goal didn't remove the anxious coils of worry forming in her gut. Where was everyone else? Were they alright? How would they find one another again?

Seeing the path of her thoughts from the troubled frown on her face, Ealhdun reached out and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder, giving a gentle and reassuring squeeze. “It's going to be alright. Might take some work but we're going to come out of this. I know for a fact that the others are able to take care of themselves. I wouldn't worry too much about them.”

She nodded at his words even if she couldn't quite make herself fully believe them. More than anything, she wished it had been Sereno to have been sent away with her. If she had to be stranded in the middle of nowhere she at least wanted her friend to be there too. She hadn't quite realized the extent she had come to rely on him. She trusted Ealhdun but she trusted Sereno more. A new resolve washed over her at the thought of her friend. She would survive this and find him again... if he didn't somehow manage to find her first.

 

oOoOoOo

 

Sereno blinked rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the new light. Where the day had been mildly cloudy just moments ago, now the sun beat down upon him with a white intensity. Beside him Tamara was picking herself up from the ground where she had fallen upon their initial collision. A ground that was a light clay in color and filled with sun-baked cracks.

Looking around at the dessert they now found themselves in Sereno summed up both of their thoughts quite eloquently, “Shit.” 

 


	13. Regaining Bearings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Making the best of a bad situation

“ _What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson_

 

 

“Like, I'm totally freaking out right now!” Tamara dusted off the seat of her pants as she came to stand beside Sereno. She ran her hands through her hair with nervous energy and internally she was kicking herself for not being further along in the development of her powers. If she could have done more than just warned everyone they were about to be ambushed– 'A lot of good that done,' she thought bitterly– then maybe they wouldn't be in this situation.  
  
“Don't. It's not going to help anything. We need to stay calm and think this through. First, what's in your bag?” Sereno refused to give into panic just yet. He was beyond furious. He was mad at himself for not being able to do more, and with Adderrik whose enmity had landed him here. But most of all he was worried about Coraline and his inability to be there for her was like an itch in his brain that he couldn't sooth.

At first Tamara looked confused but then she acknowledged the weight at her side. “Oh!” Ralston had passed her the bag he had been carrying during the initial shuffle for positions. She must have looped it over her shoulder through reflex because she certainly didn't remember the action. As soon as she unfastened the latch she was beyond grateful to have it. Relief was immediately followed by concern, because she had seen Ralston vanish, and unlike her, no one else had gone with him. “We've got one of the water bottles, what's left of the tarps, five apples, and a dagger.”

“Praise and thanks! At least we ended up with water, that was what I was most worried about. The apples and daggers are a nice boon. Now,” he turned to her and cupped her face with both his hands to assure he had her full attention, “where are the others?”

“I...” she had been about to say she didn't think she could do it. She honestly didn't know if she had the power to but her resolve hardened and some of her previous fear seeped away under the clear and determined gaze of her friend. “Give me a few minutes. I'll try to find them.” If Sereno could keep a level head about all of this, she could too. Besides, with her gift, if she could make it cooperate, the two of them might have the best chances out of everyone of finding their way.

With having him fresh on her thoughts, Tamara closed her eyes and focused on her brother's aura. This sort of divining was always the hardest for her. Sometimes she worried if her readings were ever fully accurate or if her imagination simply provided her with images of what she wanted to see. Still, over the last few years she had been learning to trust herself more and to expand her perception. Everyone needed her now, she couldn't get too caught up in second guesses.

The blackness of her mind's eye cleared and resolved itself into colors and then into a scene that she could understand. The vision was a little blurry around the edges but she had found who she'd been looking for. “Ralston is lying on a rocky shore... a lake, I think. He's soaking wet and lying on his back, chest heaving. He looks exhausted, I think he must have landed far out in the water and had to swim to land for him to seem that winded. But he's alright! I don't see anyone around, so no immediate threats.” She was smiling despite herself. “I don't recognize the landscape, he could be anywhere for all I know. But he's safe, I can check back later and maybe if he's moved any I'll get a better idea of his location.”

“That's good to hear,” Sereno answered. He tried not to sound impatient, he really did care what happened to everyone else but they were not his top concern. He needed to know if Coraline was alright.

Either she sensed his mood or she knew him well enough by now that he needed not say anything because next Tamara said, “I'm going to try and get a lock on Coraline.” Without ever opening her eyes, the woman's brow furrowed under the strain of trying to bend her ability to her will. It took a little longer, being less familiar with the other girl's aura, but after a few minutes she made a pleased little noise and smiled. “She's not hurt, she seems fine and it turns out that Ealhdun is with her! That's good, at least she isn't by herself. They're in the woods somewhere, they're walking downhill and Coraline still has a bag on her shoulder. I don't know where they are, either, but that they're on the move is encouraging. Maybe E knows where they're at? But... the way he's looking around and frowning, probably not.”

Tamara opened her eyes again, looking up to see how Sereno had received her report. He still looked troubled but his shoulders had noticeable slack in them now. When he caught her gaze he nodded appreciatively, “Thanks.” He was still angry but some of his worry left with the Seer's words. In the pause that followed he looked around them again, eager for some shade to get them out of the pounding sun. The change in temperature hadn't been so bad at first but he could feel himself starting to sweat now. Tamara had beads of perspiration rolling down her face already, likely a combination of the heat as well as the exertion needed to use her powers.

His eyes settled on a cluster of large rocks in the distance and he nodded his head in their direction before setting out. Tamara followed close at his heels and they made it over to the stones in under five minutes. To their relief the shade was wide enough to accommodate them both, even if it didn't make much of a noticeable difference. Sereno reached over and dug out the water bottle and helped himself to a long drag. He passed it to the woman seated beside him and she took it gratefully. At least it wouldn't run out. Food and heat-stroke would be their biggest concerns.

After another minute passed in silence Tamara announced, “I'm going to look for the others.” She closed her eyes again and reached once more for the threads of power. “Marion is climbing a tree. I guess he's going to see if he can figure out where he's at or see if there's any buildings around. He doesn't appear to be injured, either... wait, no, his right arm's got a lot of blood on it but it doesn't seem to be slowing him down any.” The scene faded before she could see if he made it to the top and she swayed a little, opening her eyes again. She took another long drink of water then leaned back to rest against the rough and uneven boulder. “Okay, maybe I'll hold off a few more minutes before looking for Al and Dee. I'm getting one hell of a headache.”

“Go ahead and eat one of the apples, I would think it'd help,” Sereno suggested. He too was reclined back, as best as he could manage, and looked resigned to a long wait. “We're going to be here for a while, it'll be best to wait until nightfall before traveling.”

“By then we can better figure out our course once we see the constellations,” the woman answered with a tired smile.

“That's the plan, in so much as there is one.”

Tamara nodded and then took Sereno's suggestion and pulled out an apple. She also took out the dagger, wiped the blade with the hem of her shirt, and cut the fruit into thirds, handing one of the slices to the dryad. The man accepted it with a small nod of thanks and the two drifted into contemplative silence.

 

oOoOoOoOo

 

Dawn looked up at the sky, which was now significantly further away than it had been a minute ago. Beside her Althea let out a loud and long groan. The princess pushed herself to her feet, mindful not to step on her friend and looked around them.

Her hands landed on her hips and with an annoyed huff she observed, “We are at the bottom of a canyon.”

“What?” Althea gasped out from the ground. The other woman rolled herself over delicately to remove the pressure from where she had partially landed on her wings.

“We are at the bottom of a damn canyon!”

“Well that's just wonderful,” the naiad rasped out with dry humor. She didn't really feel like trying to stand up just yet. She'd let Dawn handle the freaking out on two legs. The mage would do enough fussing for the both of them.

“Where are the others? Let me guess, we've been scattered! Great! This is just perfect!” She halted in her frustrated pacing and noticed the state of her friend. “Are you okay?” She knelt down beside the other woman and gently looked to see if there were any new injuries on her.

“I'll live,” Althea muttered, still lying face first in the dirt. The princess tutted sympathetically and brushed the other woman's auburn hair out of her face when she turned her head to look at her. “I've had worse.”

Dawn sighed and rolled her eyes. “You have maybe been more injured in the past but I think being stuck in a canyon brings things to an all new low.”

“Ha, yeah.”

“Oh come on! Now is not the time for puns.”

“You were the one who said it.”

“Whatever. Help me think of a plan for getting out of here.”

 

oOoOoOo

 

“What did you mean, what you said earlier?” Coraline asked while she navigated down a small ledge. The sound of the waterfall was louder now and she could swear that she smelled it on the breeze.

“About what?” Ealhdun questioned as he held out his hand above him to assist. She took his offer and using him for balance jumped the last little bit.

“About there not being any people if we ended up being sent to the other side of the continent. I mean, for you to even think that it was a possibility I don't suppose it's anything like Antarctica. But then, if it's mostly some temperate forest wouldn't it still have some population?” Pushing her way through some bushes Coraline was pleased to see they'd made it to their destination. White waters tumbled down in a stair like fall with three distinct levels before continuing on a more leisurely current. The rock studded little river looked shallow enough to cross at several points that she could see but there didn't seem to be a reason to prefer one bank over another.

“Hm, now that is a good question,” her companion said. His tone gave her pause and she looked back over to him with a raised brow. Seeing her curiosity, Ealhdun sighed and nodded his head. “I'm not sure why no one has told you the full story yet. Maybe they don't feel that you need to know, or maybe they aren't entirely sure what the whole truth even is anymore. But, I suppose since you are now incurably involved in all of these convoluted politics you might as well know the entire account.” He walked over to the water's edge and upon finding a large and mostly dry rock, took a seat and beckoned her to do the same. “Are you thirsty? That wasn't a long hike but it certainly wasn't a smooth decent.”

Coraline shrugged and took a seat opposite him on a similar stone. “Yeah, I could use a drink but I'm old enough to know it's not a good idea to drink un-purified water,” she looked longingly at the seemingly clear water flowing beside them and wondered if maybe just a little bit wouldn't hurt. 'Better than dehydration, right? Hm... but isn't that a cause of dysentery? No, that doesn't sound right. Damn _Oregon Trail_ , what good are you if you can't be applied in real world situations!'

While she was busy weighing the pros and cons of drinking mountain water from cupped hands Ealhdun was busy at work. It took her a few seconds to notice his rhythmic movements but when she looked over to investigate her eyes brightened with interest. The man was pulling a medium sized orb of water to them through the air. When it reached him, he rung his hands like one might do to a wet cloth to wring it out and the ball of water mirrored the results: warping and flattening with little darker drops falling out from the bottom. When it regained it's original shape it looked clearer. “There, the water is clean now.”

“That is totally cool! So... what? Do I just shove my face in it?”

“Well, I don't see any cups around, do you? You don't have to shove your face in it, no. Just put your lips against it and suck.”

“Pft, sounds kinky.”

The sound the other man made was somewhere between a barked laugh and a cough. “What!”

Coraline burst into helpless giggles and she felt her cheeks flushing, “I'm sorry! I'm sorry! That was totally on instinct! Me and my friend Wybie back home, well, we make inappropriate jokes all the time and that came out before I could even think about it. I know, totally immature, I'm sorry.”

Although clearly amused, Ealhdun's face rivaled a tomato in color. “I really don't have anything to say to that! So we're just going to pretend it didn't happen, okay?”

“Yes! Sounds great.” Before she could embarrass herself further, Coraline did as instructed and took a long drink. It was kind of like an awkward kiss, although she didn't really have a lot of experience with those so the comparison felt more hypothetical than accurate.

Once she'd had her fill, Ealhdun helped himself to the rest. After a brief pause filled with better adjusting themselves on the smooth rocks, the man cleared his throat. “What all I am about to tell you will be unpleasant. I'll spare all the gory details that I can and I shall do my best to give the most unbiased account possible. Feel free to ask questions when needed and try to keep an open mind.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we are, chapter 13 and not a single comment. On the upside, that's no harsh criticisms or any nay saying in sight.  
> I'm more or less resigned to not getting any sort of feedback for this fic. It's my own fault for writing in a "dead" fandom as opposed to one of the more popular ones... writing outside of the familiar context of the movie probably doesn't help either. I've tried to tie in as many connections to the film (and sometimes book) to have the chapters feel less alien but we're not going to see any of the Pink Palace and company for a few more chapters, but we will be going back to them.  
> If anyone does decide to comment (because I know at least three or four people are reading) don't let it be because I'm over here ranting and what-not. The kudos are nice, so at least there's that XD


	14. Three Sides to Every Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coraline gets a history lesson.  
> :mentions of suicide and death:

 

“ _The river of truth is always splitting up into arms that reunite. Islanded between them, the inhabitants argue for a lifetime as to which is the mainstream.” – Cyril Connolly_

 

Ralston lie on his back and watched as the clouds rolled lazily above him. His limbs were heavy with exhaustion and the added weight of sodden cloth. After a few moments of ragged breathing he was able to return his heartbeat to a more steady pace. “Well,” he said aloud to the world at large, “that sure went to shit quickly.”

He spent another full minute lying spread eagle with rocks digging uncomfortably into his skin before he mustered the will to push himself to his feet and properly examine his surroundings. The beach had been empty the entire time he swam towards it and not having been attacked in the time he had spent catching his breath he took as a good sign.

There was no one in sight. He removed his shirt to wring it out as best he could before letting the limp fabric drape across his shoulders and he headed up the slope of the beach to better begin to look around. To his surprise and great relief he spotted the very top of a watch tower in the distance. If he were lucky he would still be inHelianth and it would be one of Morgana's outposts.

After a long and uncomfortable hike that left him a little chafed he discovered that fortune was more in his favor than he'd dared to hope. Not only was he still in his own country, he had ended up at the West Creek outpost where Morgana herself was present along with Reynar and Captain Fane. They were in the middle of rallying forces and putting campaign designs into place. It was miles away from where they all had been at the time of the attack and in the exact opposite direction in which they had been traveling but it was highly more desired than being stranded somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

Morgana had been surprised and then worried when he'd made his way to her. After he had explained what had transpired the small frown she'd worn from the outset morphed into a deep scowl. “Damnation and brimstone!” The monarch swore with an aggravated stomp of her foot. “We're going to have to change a few things and move faster. The stakes have just gone up.”

 

oOoOoOo

 

“Good news!” Tamara announced happily as she sat up. She had opted to lie on the ground a few minutes after finishing off her share of the apple and the food along with the added rest gave her enough of an assist for her to get a reading on the remaining missing members of their party. “Al and Dee are close by!”

“That is fortunate,” Sereno answered. He was watching the bright sky with a resigned look of boredom. He was never one to easily accept inaction when anything needed doing. He knew there was nothing he could do to change his current situation just yet so he was trying to keep his mind busy in place of his body.

“Well, they aren't _that_ close. But they're the closest out of everyone. If they stay around about where they are and once the sun goes down, we could probably reach them a little after daybreak tomorrow,” she clarified.

“Are you up for that sort of travel?” He shifted his attention away from the empty stretch of sky and to her light green eyes instead.

“I have to be, don't I? We really haven't got much of a choice.”

“No, we do not.” He blew out a tired breath and patted her shoulder. “But we will manage.”

 

oOoOoOo

 

“I would start at the very beginning but that would take far too long,” Ealhdun told her after taking a brief moment to collect his thoughts. Coraline watched his face intently as it shifted through several emotions before settling into something determined and resolute. “I shall start at the point in history that marks the most significant period of change and is of the most direct concern regarding Earth.” His tone was serious and any lighthearted moment that had been shared before was replaced with a heavy air of importance.

“It started with a war. One of many in a long line of skirmishes throughout the years: border disputes, revenge, reclaiming honor; all the usual excuses to go into a battle that is more a continuation of conflict than a legitimate reason to fight. It was right before the pathways between your world and ours were closed and it is the very reason the barriers were strengthened. A spell was cast carelessly. It was meant to end the war, and end it it did. The price was staggering and the death toll stretched across borders. In your world it was called The Black Death.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Coraline interrupted with an incredulous crease in her brow and a skeptical frown. “You're telling me the bubonic plague was the result of some curse gone wrong? But, it was because of rats! Well, mites and fleas on the rats...”

“Perhaps that is the mode it took on and adapted to,” the fae acknowledged with a nod of his head. “Not all magic is rootless or a solid physical manifestation of will. Sometimes it can merely be a series of events set into motion. I assure you, a curse was how it started. How it moved after that is of less importance. What you need to know is that seeing the vast devastation that befell Earth caused a temporary truce to be struck and two allied kingdoms conspired to prevent anything of the like from ever happening again. They created six stones to anchor their spell and to allow them a controlled means to cross the veil but otherwise solidifying the way. The stones were later enchanted further to allow for travel between them and other fixed points between both worlds.”

“You mean the Transit Stones? But, Sereno said there were only five,” she cut in again. She didn't mean to keep interrupting but he had told her to feel free to ask questions.

Ealhdun inclined his head in agreement. “I'm sure that's what he was told. I do not believe your friend would intentionally lie to you.” Something about the way he said that put her on edge and she sat up a little straighter but she held off from commenting to let him continue. “As I was saying, the stones were created and the worlds were sealed from one another completely rather than the more fluid nature they once shared. An unforeseen consequence of this, however, was that without the freedom of movement once allowed it, the magical essence that permeates this side of the veil began to build up and congest. Magic can be harnessed and manipulated by individuals but it is itself a presence, a force all its own self. With the creation of the stones a portion of magic began to mutate. Time itself began to be effected. Or, more accurately, the mortality of the populations began to be effected.

Many peoples here are naturally long-lived. Myself, and other fae are an example, but for many others, they have a set number of years more in line with the life expectation of you humans. When the stones were activated it had a cascade effect of longevity and the slowing down of natural processes. It was not something easily noticed and it took almost a full century before anyone was any the wiser. It took longer than that to divine the cause. The Transit Stones were not the first or even the obvious culprit for the strange phenomenon.

There were other symptoms, too, bodies that wouldn't rest even after the life had left them. These walking dead are the reason one quarter of the continent is without people. These were the warriors that were there when the curse was first cast and their continued animation was the manifestation of the magic on this side of the veil where it was the plague in your world. No one wants to be near the corpses for fear of joining them.”

“Zombies? Really?” After everything else, it really wasn't that much of a surprise. “So, wait...” Coraline bit her lip and held up her hands in a “time out” gesture. The puzzle pieces were sliding into place for her but she needed a moment to digest the new information. “This is what Laelia was talking about? Her weird half-poem rant about endless summers and not having an escape?”

“I fully believe so, yes. From what you told us, it sounds to me that the nymph found a passage over to your world and lived there for a time, was physically able to age, and was killed. It is a strange occurrence but unnatural deaths result in a regeneration of the victim back on their proper side of the veil. I would blame the Stones but this has always been the case for as long as anyone can remember.” The fae shrugged and shifted his posture a little where the rock was growing uncomfortable under him. “There has been... an increased number of suicides over the years. Those with shorter life spans generally went insane after too much time, their minds just not made to cope with living so long. Others still took a different route and migrated to Earth to grow old and succumb to natural decline. Since the creation of the stones the populations have diminished greatly in this world. War is not something anyone wants in an already strained populace.”

“If the Stones are so bad, why haven't they just been destroyed, then?” It seemed like such a simple answer. “It doesn't look like they're doing much good anymore.”

Ealhdun gave a dry and humorless chuckle. “There are those who do not see it that way,” he told her. “To them it is more noble a cause to keep them and to prevent even the possibility of something like the Black Death from happening again.”

“But would it, though?” Coraline asked in frustration. “I mean, is there that much of a chance someone would set off a magical holocaust these days? Who was responsible for the last one? Are they dead? Would they be able or even want to do it again?”

“You may not like the answer to that,” he said with a wary downturn of his lips. “In fact, I'm not sure you would even believe me.”

“Are you going to tell me it was Morgana?” Coraline asked with a deeper frown of her own. That's what it felt like this was leading up to. After the question passed her lips she felt a sharp rush of distrust toward the whole conversation. Could this be a setup?

“No, she wasn't the one who cast it. But she was an ally. It was King Thristen, Dawn's birth father and former ruler of Dunlure. The regret of his actions was immediate and sincere. He was one of the core members of the group who later created the Stones. For him it was obviously done in an attempt to gain redemption.”

Coraline felt her stomach drop. Nothing said so far sounded outside the realm of possibility but the implications were hard to accept. “So... what? That's why Adderrik took over?”

“He seeks to destroy the Transit Stones, yes,” the man affirmed with a grim nod of his head.

Coraline stood up slowly. There was still something missing and she had the uneasy suspicion that it was staring her right in the face. “What's your opinion on all of this?” From the way he had been talking, she had a good idea on what his answer was going to be.

“I think the stones should be destroyed.”

“You're a double agent after all,” even as she said it she still couldn't quite believe it.

He didn't verbally answer her immediately but his soft sigh and imploring look confirmed it for her. She took an involuntary step away from him. He remained sitting but he held up a hand in supplication, “Please, allow me to finish explaining. It isn't what you're thinking.”

“You were going to betray everyone. Or did you already? You were in on it, weren't you? The attack earlier. You knew they were coming and what they were going to do,” she accused. Her face was flushing and she could feel the beginning prickling of angry tears behind her eyes, waiting to slip free.

“No, I knew nothing about that nor did I know what they intended to accomplish with it. Though, honestly, I could wager a guess.” He shook his head and his body language continued to be open and pleading, “I've only wanted what's best from the beginning. I don't want anyone to get hurt and despite my precarious position I've come to care a great deal for each and every one of you that I've been traveling with. I would never do anything to cause any of you harm.”

“No, but you wouldn't prevent it, would you, if it meant going against your own agenda,” her anger was building up, now. If everything he had said were true then she could see his side but the fact that he lied, that he could still be lying, it hurt more than she was able to fully process.

“If it meant saving one of you at the cost of the status quo never changing then I would gladly choose saving you. I am not the enemy, Coraline,” he said slowly and with weight behind every word. He made to stand up as well and she took another step away from him. “Please believe me.”

Coraline shook her head violently, an action that looked more like she was trying to clear her head of unwanted thoughts rather than to express disagreement. She wanted to believe him, a part of her already did, but the conflicting emotions warring for her attention was making it hard for her to properly think things through. The subtle feeling of trust she still felt towards him, even after this revelation, was enough to make her doubt herself.

He took a step forward and she bolted.

“Coraline!” She could hear him stumbling after her but she had the advantage in more ways than one. His injured leg would be enough of a hindrance to give her a head start and her years of running track would give her the speed and stamina to keep it. “Come back! You didn't let me finish!”

But she couldn't listen to him right then. She had to get away and clear her head. She knew it was reckless, even as she continued to put distance between them she realized she ought to go back. But she couldn't. She needed to be able to think things through without anyone else there to tell her how to feel.

“Coraline!” Her name echoed through the trees but she did not slow down.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from the saying "There are three sides to every story: yours, mine, and the truth."
> 
> Thank you so much for those of you who have reviewed! Thanks for your patience and kind comments while I battled this chapter. It could have potentially been much longer but I've decided to break it in half so as to update sooner. Hopefully chapter fifteen won't be as long of a lag between postings. 
> 
> So, who saw something like this coming? I've kinda been hinting at it for a while ;)


	15. Hard Truths and Harder Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot more talking and some decisions are reached.

 

“Our bodies have five senses: touch, smell, taste, sight, hearing. But not to be overlooked are the senses of our souls: intuition, peace, foresight, trust, empathy. The differences between people lie in their use of these senses; most people don't know anything about the inner senses while a few people rely on them just as they rely on their physical senses, and in fact probably even more.” **  
****―** **C. JoyBell C.**

 

When she could no longer hear the sounds of pursuit, Coraline climbed the nearest tree with branches low enough to hoist herself up into. She scrambled high into the foliage and slumped into the narrow curve of two intersecting branches to catch her breath. Part of her still felt bad for leaving but she justified it with not knowing if she could fully trust Ealhdun and she didn't want him trying to sway her opinion.

If everything he had told her was a fact then she had a _lot_ to think about and obviously he would want her to take his side on the subject. But, if Sereno were fighting for Morgana and her cause then surely both sides deserved a closer look. The problem was, from what she had seen in her short time here, the evidence seemed to say that Ealhdun's tale was true. The most compelling point in his favor was the bizarre conversation she had had with the nymph. Laelia had told the same story but it had been harder to understand at the time of it's telling. Nothing he said contradicted anything Sereno had told her, either. Her heart told her to believe him.

But then, why would Sereno not want the stones destroyed? Did he know they were the cause of such problems? Ealhdun seemed to imply that he might not, but she wasn't sure if he only said that for her sake. He knew how close she and the dryad were, if he outright accused her friend of being wrong it would have only made it that much harder for her to trust him.

Did she trust him? The short answer was, yes, she did. Certainly not explicitly, but after the last few days she just couldn't bring herself to think of him as an enemy. From the way he had talked, he didn't seem to think of himself as an enemy, either. The real questions she had to answer were ones like: did Sereno know the whole truth? If he did, did he truly believe it was a cause worth fighting for or was it a choice of loyalty? Morgana was his queen; he was suppose to defer to her. If he _did_ believe in her and her choice to protect the stones... where did that leave them?

She knew she wasn't imagining how close she was growing to him, how familiar he was becoming with her over the last few days. Memories of little reassuring touches and hugs drifted to the surface of her mind. She didn't want to have to disagree over something like this. Of course, it wasn't only Sereno. She had grown to like everyone she had been traveling with.

Dawn was Morgana's adopted daughter. If it came down to loyalty for Sereno, how much more so would that dedication be in the mage? All of them were fighting against Adderrik. If she resolved herself to believe what Ealhdun had said about his cousin's motivations it would come down to compromising her friendships or her conscience. If only she could talk to Sereno. She needed to hear his side of the story.

She groaned and curled her legs up to bury her face in the circle of her arms and knees. Her head was throbbing and her lower lip was well on its way to being bruised the with how she kept worrying it between her teeth. Around her there was quiet, only the soft rustle of leaves in the wind offered company. Despite the peaceful lack of noise the ache in her skull refused to abate.

 

oOoOoOo

 

“ _Mamma said they'll be days like this, they'll be days like this, my mamma said-_ ”

“Did she, now? I don't think my mother was ever so specific or insightful.”

“ _\- mamma said, mamma said!_ You have no appreciation for good music, Sereno.” Tamara paused in her singing and gave the man by her side a half exasperated look and shove. “Got to do something to keep myself entertained while we wait for the sun to go down. I might go crazy otherwise.” The sun had alreadychanged position in the sky, moving their shade along with it. They had moved only twice since walking over to the cluster of rocks, chasing the shadows they cast as needed.

The dryad huffed a tired chuckle and acknowledged that she had a point. He had already begun to go a little stir crazy himself. They had only been stranded for two hours. He used to be far better at sitting still and being patient. Too much was on the line for that level of clear and tranquil thinking. Despite his tart interruption to her song he was actually grateful that she had chosen to break the silence they had fallen into. “Know any Elvis?”

“ _Elvis?_ What do _you_ know about Elvis?” Tamara was grinning broadly at him now.

“Collectively, I have spent more time on earth than you have even been alive. I'm allowed to know things about music, culture and recreation,” he defended with a roll of his eyes.

“Hm, this is true. Alright, I'll humor you, even though I was never really much of a fan, myself. But first, I think I'll check in on everyone, It's been a little while, I want to make sure they're all still alright.” She sat up slightly straighter and closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. She let the breath out slowly, allowing her shoulders ease down in syncwith its release, and relaxed into her power.

She had looked in on their friends a few times since they had become stranded and it had gotten a little easier with each try. The stain she felt on her first attempts was nearly nonexistent after Sereno had corrected her posture and breathing. He reminded her to ground herself first and it had helped significantly. “Dawn and Althea are currently discussing the merits of turning Al into her animal form in order for Dee to carry her and try hiking slash climbing out. Seems risky, honestly. I hope we can get to them soon.”

Sereno hummed his agreement and ran a hand through his sweat damped hair. “Risky, but it might work; Althea is a river otter and would be significantly lighter to maneuver. Though, I suppose without knowing how her injuries would manifest on a new form or if they would even allow such a transfiguration-”

“Yeah, that's what they're stuck on. Al seems to think her back would re-open and she'd bleed out. Dee seems convinced that what healing is already in place would translate in direct relation to the alternate body without hurting her more. They're at a stale-mate so I'll come back to them.” She took another deep breath and switched her focus.

“Ralston is talking to Morgana! What! It hasn't been that long since I last looked for him, he was in middle of a field! How did he– oh, that lucky dog! He's at the West Creek outpost. Do you suppose the locations tied to those spells were just random, then?”

“I honestly don't have any guesses for that,” Sereno admitted with an irritated frown at the memory of the cursed nets.

“Well, since he's safe, I'll move on.” She was quiet for a moment as she found her focus again. “Marion seems to have found a road. Still have no idea where he might be, but a road is a good sign. Maybe he'll come across a town soon and can find help.”

“Indeed. Doesn't hurt to be optimistic.”

“Okay, okay, I'll get to the person you are actually interested in,” Tamara teased. The last time she had given a progress report for Coraline and the Duke, Ealhdun was showing off his powers and giving them both a drink from a floating orb of water. Even though things still looked difficult in regards of getting everyone back together and getting back on track, Tamara couldn't help but be uplifted by the fact that everyone seemed to be mostly safe and in just as good of health as they had been that morning.

“I'm interested in the welfare of everyone else,” Sereno groused. But there really wasn't any denying who's welfare he was _most_ invested in.

“I know,” the seer assured. With another long inhale she sought out the last members of their fragmented party. “Uh oh.”

“What?” The hair was rising on the back of his neck and he clenched his fists. Nothing good ever followed an “uh oh” especially not one of that tone.

“She's not with E. She's... in a tree? She doesn't look hurt but she's clearly upset. I don't know what happened. Hang on, I'll look for– E's sitting on the ground and rubbing his leg. He looks upset, too. No one else seems to be around. Did they have a fight, I wonder?”

“If he did _anything_ to her...” his growl promised nothing good.

“Hold your horses, I don't think he did, and I really don't think he _would._ I wish I would have checked in on them first, maybe I could have caught what happened.” She might have grown more familiar with her gift in the last hour but it still frustrated her with how fickle it could be. It seemed to her that she should have automatically felt that something was wrong instead of having to find out after the fact.

“Damn it all!”

“Calm down! There's not a lot we can do right now, as you well know. Hush and let me concentrate. I'm going to watch Coraline for as long as my powers will let me, maybe we'll figure out what's going on. Like I said, she doesn't look hurt.”

Sereno blew out a huff through his nose and thumped back against the bolder. His anger at their situation was back three fold. Coraline was distressed and heaven only knew how far away from her he was.

 

oOoOoOo

 

Whether with him or against him she was going to have to go back soon. She had set the satchel of food down at their feet when Ealhdun first began his story and it had been left behind. The fact that she had no idea where she was also provided reason enough to return. She didn't have the skill set to survive in this kind of wilderness. Hiding from her only source of help wasn't going to bring her any closer to reuniting with Sereno. If she wanted to hear her friend's reasoning she would first need to find him.

She sat in the tree for another few minutes, sorting through her raw and confused emotions before she climbed back down. Feet on solid ground again she began trying to retrace her steps. It soon became apparent that she had no idea which direction she had come from.

“Great. Just great. I had to go and make it worse,” she slumped down onto a nearby fallen tree and rested her head in her hands. Her headache had doubled in force. “I've gone and run away from the only person around for miles.”

As she sat feeling sorry for herself she felt a warm breeze gust through her hair. It felt almost inexplicably like fingers running over her scalp. It might have been a comforting sensation were it not for the fact that she was alone. When she looked up she smelled the unmistakable fragrance of flowers on a second puff of wind. It smelled just like the air in Laelia's tree right after her soul was freed. That thought eased some of her trepidation and as she looked around she saw a familiar little white bloom a few inches from her seat. It was the same sort of flower as those growing around the old tree from the marsh.

She let her eyes scan the forest floor and to her surprise she saw a cluster of the same flower a little ways away. “Is this suppose to be a sign?” She seemed to be asking no one in particular but her hope was already latching onto an idea. Something Ralston had said on their first meeting drifted back to her as she stood up. She crossed her fingers that his words applied in this instance. _People who are aware of magic tend not to treat things as coincidence._

As soon as she got to the small cluster she spotted several more all in a row and beyond them another cluster. Objectively, it might be seen as nothing more than a random splattering of blossoms but to her she could just tell it was a path. “Instead of a trail of bread crumbs I get a path of petals...” She just hoped her benefactor was who she thought it was. All evidence seemed to suggest so but, aside from the faint scent on the wind and the particular type of flower, there really wasn't a whole lot to go on. Still, she followed.

As she crested the top of a hill the random patches of flowers spilled out into a largeraccumulation, thick and picturesque. The trail ended there, circling a small sapling that seemed to have just the faintest glow of gold haloing it. The confusion at such an ending lessened when she realized that she could hear the distinct rush of running water. The flowers had lead her close enough to find her own way back.

It wasn't really the flowers, though. “Thank you, Laelia!” She couldn't be sure but it sounded like there may have been a tinkling light laugh floating just under the sound of the waterfall.

 

oOoOoOo

 

Ealhdun could have kicked himself. He really should have tried harder to convey the importance of their relationship before embarking on a history lesson. He hadn't been lying when he told her that he cared deeply for her and the others. Coraline was a sweet and charming girl and he would rather rip out his own tongue than see her come to harm. When he had tripped in his attempt to catch her, landing wrong upon the rocks and reopening his cut, he felt utter helplessness for the first time in a very long while.

His leg was throbbing now worse than at any point since being wounded. After her figure disappeared from sight he knew he would never be able to catch up. With a moan of self-loathing he slumped forward and propped his head against the lifted knee of his uninjured leg. He wished he knew what his cousin had been thinking with this stunt. What was he going to do now?

He regretted not having any means of communication with Adderrik. After he had agreed to go through the stone they both knew that it would be blind from there on out. It didn't help that they had chosen to play this gambit close to the vest. No one but themselves knew Ealhdun's true agenda. His own countrymen genuinely believed him a traitor. And now, so did Coraline. Losing her trust somehow managed to hurt worse.

He didn't know how long he sat there, giving into self-pity and despair but if felt like at least half on an hour. The sounds of crunching leaves and loose rocks sliding caught his attention and brought his head back up. Coraline pushed herself through the bushes and stopped just out of hand's reach of him. “You came back.”

“Yeah, turns out, I forgot all the food was with you,” she answered in a clipped tone as she crossed her arms in front of herself.

“Oh.” He had hopped that maybe she had decided to finish hearing him out. But, he would take the practicality of her reason for return over any sentiment just so long as she was back.

The girl sighed and her body language drooped. “I think I believe you,” she told him with only the barest hint of reluctance. “So, where does that put us? I still want to get back to the others but don't think I'm just going to willingly turn-coat. You better believe I'm taking all of this up with Sereno as soon as I see him again.”

“I would not expect anything less. In fact, I should hope you would ask him. I'm still not completely certain that he hasn't been lied to. From what I felt in the field the other day, everyone seems to believe my cousin is only power hungry and seeking to expand his kingdom.” The fae raised one shoulder in a brief shrug. “Obviously, I wasn't going to correct or clarify at the time, it would have given me away.”

“And that's another thing!” Coraline planted her feet in a wide stance and braced her fists on her hips. “What's your angle? You say you like us and wouldn't want us to get hurt, so what kind of double agent are you?”

“One that plays more of a role of a chaperone. A saboteur, if needed. Neither of us knew exactly what I might be getting into but we wanted someone else on the inside. We had only one spy at the castle, you see, and didn't feel it safe to risk any more, not with a Seer supposedly in residence.”

“Speaking of that, how did you get past Tamara? She's the one who interviewed you, wasn't she?” Coraline had many questions but this one had been bugging her from the moment he had revealed his loyalties.

Ealhdun smiled fondly and ran a hand through his hair. “Yes, that was a challenge. It was lucky for me that she is far from her true potential. She has a lot of talent, to be sure, but most of it remains untapped and untrained. She cannot yet read minds, which was one of my main concerns going in. Instead, she mostly sees glimpses of the future, visions of current goings on outside of her line of sight, and a touch of Empathy. I myself have a small skill with Empathy and so while she was trying to get a reading off my aura I was ever so slightly manipulating hers. I believe what worked most in my favor is that I was truly there to do no harm. I let my feelings of genuinely wanting to help and do what was best for everyone be at the surface of my consciousness.”

Coraline nodded her head and sat back down across from him. She didn't think he was lying and the fact that he was answering her questions without any hesitation helped boost her esteem of him back up a bit from where it had taken a plunge. Then something he said pulled at her attention. “A skill with Empathy? What exactly does that mean?”

The fae looked a little ashamed of himself, and an honest to goodness blush stained his cheeks. He twirled a lock of purple streaked hair between his fingers and looked at her from the corners of his eyes, not quite meeting her gaze full on. “This really isn't going to help you to trust me,” he admitted. “I can easily sense how a person feels. I get impressions of emotions and to an extent can control them. That first day of our travel I helped you to relax in my presence. It was a little unnerving how you didn't trust me. One would have thought _you_ were a seer. I can't implant new feelings or change strongly held beliefs but I can somewhat sway uncertain ones. I can make my own will be felt by another, they might not act on it, but sometimes they may mistake it for their own. With you, I coaxed out friendliness.”

“So you manipulated me?” The outrage was as strong as her surprise. Maybe she really couldn't trust him.

“Yes and no. I slowly pushed out your feelings of distrust by sending out my feelings of goodwill and friendship. I reenforced those feelings with actual conversation, showing myself to be open and agreeable. I don't want you to think that everything I've done has had a sinister motive, but I can understand if you do. There's really nothing I can say now that will make you believe me though I really do care.

Those conversations weren't an act. Defending Tamara and the others from an ambush and killing two of my fellow countrymen wasn't an act.” He brushed the hair he'd been playing with back behind his ear and looked up at the sky. “No one but Adderrik and myself know my purpose. Everyone back home believes that I am a traitor. For the plan to work best, no one else could know. I didn't want to kill them, of course, but it was that or risk them killing one of our friends.”

Coraline shivered involuntarily at the reminder of the lives lost that day in question. “Thanks for that, then,” she made herself acknowledged. She studied the man closely while his gaze was still focused on the treetops and clouds above them. He looked troubled and lost. In a way, she wished she had this gift of Empathy he was talking about, it would be nice to have an idea of how he was really feeling. But before she could start to contemplate that, she decided she needed to sort out how _she_ was feeling. She thought she had done so back in the tree branches but with all this new information her thoughts were conflicted again. “You called them our friends,” she observed.

Ealhdun looked back to her and their eyes met. He held her gaze and nodded. “Yes. They may not think of me as such once it comes out why I came to Helianth, but to me, they are my friends. Even Dawn and her only slightly masked hostilities I've grown fond of. Not that I blame her, of course, she and I had a history well before the start of this particular conflict.” He smiled and winked, “I once tried to court her, you know.”

“It has come up in conversation before, yes,” she snorted and smiled despite herself. “Alright, look. I see your side of this whole war but I'm not going to take sides yet. Heck, this isn't even about me! I'm more of a spectator than anything! But let's just get this straight, I want to find Sereno and the others. Is that what we're going to do?”

“You're hardly a spectator any longer, my dear. Like I said, you've found yourself mired quite in the middle of things. Your real role is unbiased third party,” he told her pointedly. He then stood up and hobbled back over to the water's side where their lone satchel of food sat waiting. “To answer your question, yes, that's what we're going to do. I don't know what my cousin was thinking, separating us all like this. Something must have happened to make him change strategies but I'm useless stranded out here in the middle of nowhere. We're going to find the others, though I admit I'm not yet sure how.” He pulled out an apple from the bag and tossed it to her. “In the meantime, let's have lunch then we'll head down stream, does that sound alright?”

She caught the fruit easily and took a large bite before nodding. “Yeah, okay, sounds good.” She found that she liked his phrasing; she wasn't on anyone's side right now, she was an unbiased third party. That might be forced to change before too long but it gave her a more solid perspective. After another bite she closed the distance and sat down beside him on the rocks, similar to how they had been earlier that afternoon. The atmosphere was still tense between them but it was a relief to have everything out in the open now.

“I want us to be friends,” she said after she finished her apple and threw the core into the water to be washed away on the current. “But things are different now and as much as I'd like to just trust you, I'm going to question everything you say from now on.”

“You should always question everything,” he answered matter of fact. “Never take anything as stated, it's a good way to make the wrong assumptions. I'm glad you're not going to just blindly trust me... and I'm glad you'd still like to be friends.”

“Something tells me you haven't been lying. And if I'm going to believe that, it means that you were being honest when you said all the conversations and jokes we've had over the past few days haven't just been a long con. So, yes, I'd still like to be friends but I'm also going to be keeping my distance, you understand. This is more of a truce right now,” she told him. She held out her hand to shake and waited for him to take it.

His grip was firm and his smile genuine when he shook her hand. “Alright, we'll call it a truce.”

 

oOoOoOo

 

Tamara had grown silent and her hand had covered her mouth early on. Sereno was physically biting his tongue not to interrupt her and demand details. She had been keeping a running commentary for everything she saw up until the point where Coraline had told Ealhdun that she believed him. Believed him about what? Why did Tamara look so distressed? Even with her eyes firmly held closed, the seer was clearly upset about something. He wanted to ask but he didn't want her to lose focus and miss something important. He had talked to her while she was in the middle of a vision before but this felt different. And it was driving him crazy. He stood up and began to pace in front of her, never mind the heat of the sun making such an action obscenely uncomfortable. He couldn't just sit still while he waited to hear the rest of the story.

Finally, Tamara opened her eyes. “E has been a double agent,” was the first thing she said.

“Dammit all! Is Coraline okay? Has he done anything to her? What made him admit to it?”

“Yes, she's fine. They've struck a truce and seem to be getting along again. Whatever it is they talked about before she ran away... I want to know Coraline's reasoning. She obviously still trusts him–”

“The damn fae has a talent for Empathy! He admitted it himself just the other night that he was getting her to trust him! Of course she might still be persuaded to!” Sereno interrupted with an angry bark. Ealhdun had probably managed to somehow use his tricks on him, too, for him to have so easily accepted the other man's explanation that night.

“I don't think that's it,” Tamara protested. Sereno bared his teeth in a hiss and looked back to the woman still seated behind him. “Quit that,” she scolded at his display of tempter. “There's something more at work here. The conversation I just witnessed... I can't bring myself to think of E as an enemy. Yeah, I'm a little pissed too, but unlike you I heard most of his explanation.”

“Which could easily all have been lies!”

“Who's the Seer, here, me or you? From what I just saw, I could _feel_ his sincerity,” Tamara said with conviction.

“After all the trouble you had in getting a clear image just a couple of hours ago now you're saying you got a reading of emotion through a vision?”

“Will you stop being a stubborn ass for two minutes and let me have my say?” The woman shot him a cold stare and challenged him to continue interrupting. “I know you're angry and upset but you're being unusually obtuse. This really isn't like you, I've always known you to be far more level headed!”

Sereno glared at her but didn't reply. In that moment Tamara's eyes widened in understanding. “This is more than her being your responsibility. You really do love her.” Naturally, she had suspected that to be the case all along, and he had all but admitted it himself not too long ago. Yet here it was now, plain as day to see, written in every inch of worry straining the man's body. Sereno was hopelessly in love.

When he didn't answer, Tamara took that as a sign to continue. “From what I saw, Ealhdun actually cares about all of us. He said something about Adderrik not being power hungry and looking to conquer land but has a separate motive in this war. He said he couldn't correct us at the time without giving himself away but whatever this other end game is, it's apparently enough to have convinced Coraline. Any idea what he could be talking about?”

Sereno frowned and forced himself to sit back down. A vague suspicion tickled the back of his mind. “I'm not sure,” he admitted at last. He scooped up the water bottle and took a long pull from it and then pushed his damp bangs back out of his face. “This is a lot to think about. Keep an eye on them and see if the topic comes up again.”

Tamara nodded and then promptly swooned forward in a faint. Sereno startled into action and managed to catch her right before she hit the ground. He quickly took off his tunic and pillowed it under her head on his lap. He then pulled the scarf from out of her hair and soaked it in water before wiping her face off and resting the cool, wet cloth against her forehead. It took a minute but after working to cool her off, she opened her eyes again.

She looked up at him in confusion, wondering at the sudden change in position before grimacing and bringing her hands up to massage her temples. “Guess that took more out of me than I thought,” she noted with a frown while she accepted the water bottle from her friend and took several large gulps. “I might have to hold off using my powers again for a little while. This heat really isn't helping, either. Maybe it'll be easier come nightfall when things have cooled off.”

Sereno didn't like it, but he acknowledged that she had a point. He didn't want her hurting herself. The others were managing themselves well enough for now and it wasn't giving them any immediate advantage knowing what everyone else was doing. They could let Tamara go a few hours without trying to search for their friends to give status reports. “Wait until the sun goes down before looking in on anyone again,” he told her after a brief internal debate.

“I should be okay before that,” she tried to argue but the exhaustion was clear in her voice.

“Maybe you should take a nap,” he advised. “I'll wake you when we have to relocate for better shade.” She made to sit up but he gently held her down and shook his head. “You're tired and this heat is only draining your energy. Take another drink of water then take a nap.” She sighed but agreed and was asleep within five minutes.

Sereno let his hands play with her curls distractedly while he worked out these newest details. If Adderrik wasn't after land, then what was his goal? He would have to replay every conversation with Ealhdun in light of this new revelation. Perhaps he had accidentally given something away. He trusted Coraline and he trusted Tamara, if they could give the fae the benefit of the doubt perhaps he could too. Maybe. Eventually.

He had nothing else better to do but to sit and think. It was possible he might come to a decision before the day was through. He had plenty of time to try and puzzle it all out.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Tamara is singing is "Mamma Said" by the Shirelles


End file.
